Rekindled Hearts
by briavery
Summary: Now that Sofia's home, Arizona finally settles down with how her life was meant to be with just the two of them. That was before Eliza was rehired at GSMH and is back to stay. Rated M for future chapters. #firstfanfic
1. Chapter 1

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

ARIZONA'S POV

It's Friday night and honestly, it couldn't have come any sooner. Sofia's back home and this will be the first weekend together since her arrival and I'm looking forward to giving her my full attention. With everything that has happened at the hospital lately and Eliza's sudden ghosting two months ago, having Sofia here has made me feel whole again. She will always be my first priority and the second I received a text from my ex wife saying Sofia wanted to come back home, I've decided to put my dating life on hold and focus solely on being a mother.

Dinner cooking on the stove and Sofia laying out cookie dough on a cookie sheet, I lean over the counter and smile at the sight in front of me. My daughter's been talking nonstop about her school day. It's without a doubt she can talk for days. My cell lighting up beside me, I take a quick peek and see April's name displayed across the screen. _She's probably filling me in on the date she went on tonight_. Taking my phone and putting it in my back pocket, I go about preparing dinner and helping Sofia pop the cookies into the oven.

"Mommy," a cheerful voice calls at me. "Can I pick the movie tonight?"

"Of course," I tell her as I flash her a smile. "Dinner is just about done. Go wash up and help me set the table, please?"

"Ok, be right back!"

* * *

We finished eating and now we're on the couch watching Tarzan. Sofia lying down with her head on my lap, I find myself watching her more than the movie. My fingers running through her hair, she gazes up at me with a slight grin on her face. "Are you okay, Sof?" Her eyes now filled with unshed tears, I furrow my brows and cup her face with my hand ready to wipe the tears that fall. "What's wrong, baby girl?"

"Happy tears, mommy," she says with tears running down the side of her face. "I just missed you a lot when I was with mama and now I get to have you."

"Oh, Sof," I sigh and give her a sad smile. "I missed you so much, too. Everyday. But now you're home and I couldn't be any happier."

"I'm very happy too. Tomorrow can we go to the zoo? And eat pizza for lunch? And get ice cream afterwards?"

I let out a light laugh at her enthusiasm. "That sounds perfect. Lets do it."

My cellphone vibrating in my back pocket, I wiggle around I grab it from underneath me and unlock the screen. I've got unread text messages from Deluca and April and a missed call from April. Just as I was about to open the text message from April, the doorbell rings throughout the house. I look at the time on my phone, 9:16pm. _Who would be at my door at this time?_ My daughter looks up at me in confusion and I shrug back at her as she sits up. "Sit tight. I'll be right back." I throw her a wink and head towards the door.

As I swing the front door open, a familiar face appears.

"Arizona."

* * *

 **This is the first fanfic I've ever written & I do realize how short the first chapter is. **

**Feedback would be helpful.**

 **Fanfic suggestions would be great.**

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	2. Chapter 2

**SHONDA ABC OWN IT ALL**

ARIZONA'S POV

Eliza standing on my porch has me lost for words. What am I supposed to say? What am I even supposed to do? She ghosted me. She ghosted me without me knowing what ghosted meant. Like, to be ghosted is an actual thing. I mean, she was probably embarrassed that Bailey fired her and no one had her back because no one liked her and the changes she was making at Grey Sloan. So, I get it but I cared so much about her. I was actually starting to believe that we could've been a thing. Together. In a relationship. But she left me and walked out of my life like I was nothing to her. It hurt me more than anyone could ever imagine.

I have no idea why she's here right now. Maybe to apologize? To be honest, I really don't care. She hurt me. She hurt me more than I've ever been hurt before because I liked her. I wanted there to be an us. It didn't matter to me that no one at the hospital liked her. I was prepared to stick up for her if needed. Now, that wouldn't be necessary.

"Arizona," Eliza says pulling me from my thoughts. "Look, I know I should've called first before showing up at your doorste-"

"Why, Eliza?" I cut in. I'm trying my best to keep my voice as close to a whisper as I can because of the tiny ears in the living room, but I'm struggling. "Why would it have mattered if you called first? For two months, you left me in the dark. For two months, you left me wondering what the hell I did that caused you to just pick up and leave. For two months, Eliza, you made no attempt to contact me. None." I shrug at her.

"I couldn't face you after Bailey fired me." _Damn, she's so beautiful._ Tears filling her eyes, she tugs her leather jacket tighter around her body and drops her gaze. "I tried so hard to get myself to pick up the phone and call you," she looks up to meet my eyes with fallen tears gathered at her jawline. "Then a couple nights ago, Bailey called me and offered me a position in Ortho. You were the first person I wanted to tell."

"Eliza, you hurt me. What you did, hurt." I'm trying my best for fight back my own tears.

"I know, but I'm so sorry." She takes a step closer to me and when I don't back away, she takes another. "I just needed to take some time to myself. I went back home and spent some time with my family. I just wanted you to know that I'm back and I'm ready."

"I'm sorry," I give her a sad smile. "You may be back but I don't think I can be in a relationship right now. I don't think I can handle that kind of heartbreak again if you were ever to decide to leave again. You took time for yourself and now you're ready to jump right back into it but, I'm not there yet."

"I'm not going to leave," she pleads.

"It's going to take a lot for me to trust you again, Eliza." I take a couple steps away from her and further inside the house. "Look, right now really isn't a good time. My daughter's back home and I –"

"Your daughter?" She asks with her brows furrowed. "You have a daughter?"

I nod my head, "I do. I'll see you around, Eliza."

I shut the door and left Eliza standing there with her mouth hung open. I know I was more cold towards her than I should have been, but I deserved better than to just be left high and dry like that. Of course at one point after she left, if she appeared at my doorstep like she did tonight, there wouldn't have been any hesitation letting her back into my life. But she waited two months. I've already finished building my walls back up. I make my way back to the living room where Sofia is and find her curled up on the couch, asleep. I kneel down beside her head and kiss her on top of her head. She looks too peaceful to pull her out of her sleep. I grab the blanket that's covering her legs and pull it up her body.

* * *

The sound of Sofia giggling wakes me from my sleep with a smile on my face. I've missed her laugh so much. Hell, I've missed her presence. She's someone you'll always want to have around and her smile is bright enough to light up a dark room. Lying on the floor, I turn my head to find her sitting on the couch watching early morning cartoons.

"Morning, mommy!"

"Good morning, Sof. How'd you sleep?"

"Perfect," she says with the most adorable smile on her face. "I tried to wait for you to come back from answering the door, but you took long."

"I know, baby. I'm sorry. It was just a friend from work." I sit up and pull myself onto the couch next to her.

"Like a friend? Or a friend friend?" She smirks and squints her eyes.

"How about some breakfast before we leave for the zoo?" I laugh and try to divert wherever that conversation was headed. She's definitely passed the age where hiding things from her is an option.

Sofia is all I need to be happy. As long as she's happy, there's nothing I could ask for.

* * *

 **A/N: My goal is to write longer chapters as it get deeper into the storyline.**

 **Also, my plan is to update this story with a chapter everyday and then gradually have a couple chapter updates a day, so bear with me :)**

 **Feedback would be helpful.**

 **Fanfic suggestions would be great.**

 **NO HATE would be amazing.**


	3. Chapter 3

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

When Arizona mentioned her daughter was home, yeah I was surprised. I mean, Arizona has a daughter. She never thought to mention it to me when we were dating? I'm trying my best to understand her part. Maybe she was afraid I was going to bail once I knew? Maybe we just weren't at that point of our relationship to disclose such personal information?

Did I see a future with Arizona? Of course I did. That night in the parking lot outside of the hospital, I told Arizona if I were to be fired, the possibility of there being an us would be an option. I just wasn't thinking to be fired the way I was. Does Arizona having a daughter change the way I feel about her? Absolutely not. I was always great with kids. If anything, it makes me want to get to know Arizona more. If I just found out about her having a daughter, imagine what else she could be keeping from me.

Before I showed up at Arizona's house last night, I met with Bailey and accepted the job. My first instinct was to find Arizona. I had to tell her. I had to apologize for leaving her the way I did. It's Saturday morning now and after seeing Arizona, I still don't feel content with where we stand. I crack one eye open and groan at the sunlight hitting my face. I'm not scheduled to be at the hospital until Monday morning, so it gives me the weekend to get settled in. I'll probably walk around the city today, grab some lunch, and check what movies are showing at theaters. I don't know. I have all the time in the world to myself when all I really want is Arizona.

I finish getting ready and I make my way downstairs through the lobby. When I reach the sidewalk, the cool wind hits me and gloomy sky makes me glad I've decided to dress warm.

* * *

I've been walking around the city for a little over an hour and now I'm starving. I've passed by a couple restaurants but nothing seemed appealing to me. _When in doubt, pizza is my go to._ I take a look around the busy streets and see a pizza sign flashing across the street. _Perfect._ As I make my way over to the pizzeria, I quicken my pace as the rain begins to lightly fall. Pushing the door open, the loud voices from the lunch crowd fills the air and the smell of fresh pizza cooking in the oven hits my nose.

"Hi, a table for one please," I say smiling at the host.

"Of course, right this way," he says as he grabs a menu.

As we make our way to an empty table, I hear a light laugh that I would forever recognize. Glancing throughout the restaurant, there she is. Arizona is sitting in a booth, with a tiny girl and they look very deep in conversation. _Don't make eye contact, Eliza._ I drop my head and quickly walk past their table when she looks up at me.

"Eliza?" Her voice stops me.

"Arizona," I meet her eyes and give her a smile. "Hey, I didn't see you there."

"Sure, you didn't."

Great, she knows I'm lying. I turn my head to the small girl sharing the booth with her and I kneel down next to her, "hi there, I'm Eliza. I work at the hospital with your mommy."

"My name is Sofia." She smiles at me and my heart instantly melts.

"Well, it was very nice meeting you, Sofia." I stand back up and switch my attention over to Arizona. "So, I'll see you on Monday?"

"You will," Arizona says with a nod. "You know, you're more than welcome to join us, if you want?"

"Oh, no it's okay. I wouldn't want to be in the way."

"You won't be. We were just having lunch and afterwards we were going to get some ice cream." She pats the seat next to her and motions me to sit. "It's just pizza, Eliza. Take a seat."

"Yeah, Eliza. Take a seat with us."

Giving the host who was waiting at my empty table, I give him a sad smile and he nods at me with a smile. _Don't be awkward, don't be awkward._ I take a seat next to Arizona and I'm quickly reminded of how much I missed being around her.

"Hey, baby girl," she says digging into her pocket. "Want to play some games while Eliza eats?" She reaches across the table and drops a couple of quarters into Sofia's hand. "Stay where I can see you."

"Okay, mommy." Sofia says while slipping out of the booth.

Arizona turns her attention to me and furrows her brows. "Eliza, about last night."

"Arizona, you don't have to say anything. I should be the one to apologize." I meet her gaze and I can see in her eyes how much pain I've put her through.

I don't even know how I'm sitting with Arizona right now. But, I do know that I wont take this moment for granted. Seeing Arizona in mommy mode has filled my heart with nothing but joy. I love Arizona in mommy mode and Sofia is nothing short of perfect. I 'll have to take this slow and go at Arizona's pace. If she wants me to back off, I'll back off, but right now, she wants me here with her and her daughter. Today couldn't get any better..

* * *

 **A/N: I'm seriously overwhelmed with the positive reviews I've received about this fix & I couldn't thank you all enough for the immense amount of support. Thank you**, **thank you, thank you!**

 **Feedback would be helpful.**

 **Fanfic suggestions would be great.**

 **NO HATE would be amazing.**


	4. Chapter 4

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

I was not expecting to see Eliza here at all. I asked her to join us because she doesn't know anyone in Seattle besides the people at the hospital who all dislike her. No one should have to eat lunch alone when they don't have to.

Seeing Eliza interact with Sofia has got to be the cutest thing. I didn't tell Eliza I had a daughter because I did feel like it was the timing was right. She already had a lot on her plate with what she was dealing with at the hospital and I felt that telling her would have only added to her stress.

Eliza finished her pizza and excused herself from the table to play a couple games with Sofia and I can tell you this right now, I love watching them together. Sure, our situation at the moment may not be the best, but there's no harm in being friends, right? I gather our belongings from the table and head to their direction. The sound of Eliza and Sofia laughing together fills the air around me and it puts a smile across my face.

"Hey, Sof," I say, resting my hand on top of her head. "How about you finish up this game and we'll go get ice cream."

"Can Eliza come too?" She turns around and looks at me with the biggest smile I've seen on her face all day. "Please, mommy?"

"Well, I wouldn't see why not." I say, nodding my head.

Sofia latches herself onto Eliza's leg and looks up at her, almost begging, "please, come with us."

Eliza switches her gaze between me and Sof, "Well, if it's okay with you.. I don't see why not."

Almost screaming with excitement, Sofia jumps up and down taking a hand from the both of us. We make our way to the exit and walk down the street to an ice creamery. After placing our order, Eliza turns to us asking, "so, since the weather seems to be clearing up outside, once we get our ice cream, would you girls like to take a walk at the park that's around the block?"

Without giving me time to answer, Sofia quickly responds. "Yes!"

"That sounds like a good idea," I say giving Eliza a dimpled smile.

"I was hoping you'd say yes," Eliza sighs in relief and leans closer to me, "I figured it would give us a chance to talk. You know, set things straight?"

"Okay," is all I could say right now.

I'm a little nervous about where this conversation might lead to. I want to be friends with Eliza and see where it could take us but, I'm feeling unsure if I could trust her to not run at the first sign of hardship. We'll just have to take things slow and with Eliza here to stay, what's the rush?

We've been walking around the park for a little over 15 minutes and Eliza and I have fallen into a comfortable silence. It's mid-fall and it's the perfect time of year for a walk outdoors. The leaves falling off the trees and crunching beneath me as I step on them. I close my eyes and smile to myself as I soak in everything around me.

"Are you okay?" She asks pulling me from my thoughts. "You seem like you're thinking pretty hard."

I let out a soft laugh and I open my eyes to find her staring at me with a worried look settled on her face. "I'm just taking all of this in. Eliza, I didn't tell you about Sofia because I wasn't sure how you would have taken it. I liked you. I liked you a lot. I was afraid that once I told you, you would have bailed. My daughter comes first in my life, so anyone I date that isn't okay with that, obviously there's going to be a problem. I've enjoyed what we were and I guess I wasn't ready for it to end.

We make our way to an empty bench and take a seat beside each other. Eliza turns her body toward mine and gives me a sad smile. We're looking into each other's eyes and I feel my heart beginning to race.

"I understand why you held back on telling me about Sofia and I'm not holding anything against you. I just – If I could take back the time I left and how I left, I would in a heartbeat. You didn't deserve that. With everything that happened at the hospital and how fast it all happened, I left. I needed to regroup and figure out what my next step was going to be." She takes a quick pause and sighs. I can see her fighting back tears that are threatening to fall. "I'll spend forever apologizing to you if I have to."

"No."

"No?" She looks at me and drops her head into her hands.

"Eliza, look at me." I pull her hands away from her face and place a finger under her chin to lift her head to meet mine. "I don't want you to spend forever apologizing to me. From here on, we start over. We start fresh, okay? We're not going to let the past get in the way of our future."

A tear slipping down her face, I wipe it away with my thumb and a slight smile on her face appears. She nods at what I've just said.

"We'll take things slow, though. A couple dates here and there and we'll spend a lot of time together. With the holidays right around the corner, I'm sure it'll give us plenty of time to get to know one another. Just, slow. Okay?"

"You're perfect, Arizona." She smiles at me and I swear, she has my heart bursting with joy.

* * *

 **Thanks again for all your reviews & support! It means ****a lot.**

 *** fingers crossed * I'm hoping to have another update for you guys by the end of the day, but for now, ENJOY :)**

 **Feedback would be helpful.**

 **Fanfic suggestions would be great.**

 **NO HATE would be amazing.**


	5. Chapter 5

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

I'm sharing a bench with Arizona as we watch Sofia playing on the playground. I could definitely get used to this. Arizona said she'd like to take things slow and to be honest, I don't blame her. Sofia is her world and whatever she decides, I know she has her and her daughter's best interests in mind.

Arizona turns to me and takes my hand in her own. When I don't pull back, she smiles and I tighten my grip. "Hey," she says. "Why don't you join us for dinner at my place tonight? Sofia loves you already, so I'm sure she wouldn't mind. We could watch a movie afterwards?"

"You don't have to do that, Arizona," I say with a light laugh.

"Do what? What am I doing?"

"You don't have to feel that you have to invite me over for dinner just because we spent the whole afternoon together." I'm not trying to be difficult. I just don't want her to rearrange her plans for me.

She furrows her brows and pulls her hand away. I'm instantly devastated by the loss of contact. "It's just dinner, Eliza," she says as she turns her head away from me.

"Hey," I grab her hand and cup her cheek with my free hand. I turn her head toward me and dip me head to meet her gaze. "Don't take it as me not wanting to spend time with you. I just don't want to jump right into things and then you feel we're moving too fast. I'd love to join you and Sof for dinner."

A slight smile settling on her face, she sighs in relief. "I just want you in my life, Eliza." She shrugs her shoulders. "You have no idea how much I've missed you these past two months. I suggested us going slow because it's not just me I'm worrying about now." She turns her gaze over to Sofia who is now swinging on the swing set. "I don't want her to get close to you and have you leave her life, but I get Sofia back and a week later you come back too. This is how my life should be. It honestly doesn't get any better than having my two favorite girls with me."

My eyes fill with tears as I'm hearing Arizona pour her heart out. I knew I liked Arizona. I liked her a lot, but what I'm feeling right now. What I'm feeling sitting here with Arizona as she stares at her daughter and confesses that having me in her life is how her life should be? I don't like Arizona. No. I'm way passed liking her. _I love Arizona._

I lift her hand and press my kiss onto her knuckles. She turns her head and furrows her brows when she notices a couple tears fall down my face. "Talk to me, Eliza."

"I want this to be perfect for you and Sofia. I'm here to stay and I can honestly promise you right now, Arizona, I'm here to stay. Leaving you was the biggest mistake I've ever made. After I went to the hospital and accepted the job offer, I went looking for you."

"You know, I was the one that told Bailey to hire you back. I was the one that fought for you to be hired as the new ortho surgeon. I just wasn't sure if you'd come back."

I sit back against the bench and take in everything Arizona just said. She stands up from where she's been sitting and starts to walk away. "No." I jump up and grab her wrist to turn her so she's facing me. I close the gap between us and press my body against hers, holding her by her waist.

"Eliza, just let it go."

"No. You don't get to tell me that and walk away."

"Oh, really?" She says raising an eyebrow. "You don't lecture me about walking away."

"Arizona, I'm so-"

Before I get to finish, she leans in and presses a soft kiss against my lips. I let out a soft moan in appreciation and our foreheads rest against each others. "I said no more apologizing."

"I was just going to say that I'm so ready for dinner tonight."

We both let out a laugh and I swear I love this woman and everything about her. Screw going slow. I'm going to prove to Arizona that I'm all hers. She wanted me here and fought to get me back. This is obviously where I belong. Now it's my turn to fight for Arizona and her trust.

* * *

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

Telling Eliza that I was the one who told Bailey to hire her back at the hospital was never part of the plan. It was something that I didn't want her to know, but I figured with how fast rumors travel at the hospital, it would be better if she heard it from me. Plus, I felt like it was the perfect timing. I just want to leave everything in the past and start over with her.

With Sofia here now, it changes things. It changes things a lot. I don't want her feeling that people leaving her life is constant. It's bad enough Callie and I live in separate states and she has to split her time between the both of us. I have to think about what's best for her before I consider what's best for me.

I wave Sofia over to us and she comes running with a big smile on her face. "Hey, big girl." I say, "Eliza's coming over for dinner, is that okay with you?"

She gasps and jumps up and down. "Really? Yes! We'd love to have you."

Eliza bends down to meet her height and says to Sofia with a wink, "I'll definitely be there. What should I bring?"

Sofia stands beside Eliza and throws her arm around her neck, "hot chocolate and popcorn." Her eyes widen and she leans in close to Eliza to whisper something in her ear.

"You got it." Eliza nods and stands.

My heart melts at what just happened. Their interaction together is perfect. I rub Sofia's back asking, "you ready to go, baby girl?"

"I'm ready, mommy." She says.

We begin walking and Eliza laces her fingers with mine. I turn to face her and she gives me a satisfying smile. "She's perfect, Arizona."

"She is, huh?" I say to Eliza. "Hey, what did she whisper in you ear?"

Eliza shrugs, "she just told me to bring my three favorite flavors of ice cream."

* * *

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 **i'd like to know if you guys are loving it? hating it? want more of it?**


	6. Chapter 6

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

I wasn't lying when I told Eliza this is how my life is supposed to be, with both of my favorite girls home with me. After we left the park, Eliza walked back to her hotel room for an outfit change while I went to the grocery store to gather ingredients for dinner. We've been home for a little over an hour and once we entered the house, Sofia went straight to the couch to lie down. I wasn't surprised that she fell asleep, knowing how much of a fun day she's had. She didn't stop talking about our trip to the zoo, our time at the park, and a smile never left her face when she talked about Eliza.

Having three different flavors of ice cream in our freezer has always been a thing between Sofia and I. Now that Sofia's let Eliza in on our _thing_ , I couldn't be any sure that Sofia already loves having Eliza around.

As I stand in the kitchen, I stare off into space and imagine waking up in the mornings with Eliza's arm wrapped around my body and Sofia rushing passed our bedroom door and climbing into bed with us for some morning cuddles. _Let's not get ahead of ourselves now._ A slight smile settling on my face, I couldn't feel any more content than I do right now. The sound of the doorbell pulling me from my thoughts, I make my way over to the front door and pull it open.

"Hey, beautiful." Eliza says as her smile widens across her face. _Damn, she's gorgeous._

"Hello," I say returning a dimpled smile. "Come in." I step aside and she walks into the house. Before she goes any further, she stops in front of me and pushes her body against mine and brushes her lips against mine. She leans in further for a soft kiss and I grip her waist with my hands to stop her from pulling away.

Eliza moans in appreciation when I glide my tongue across her bottom lip and when she takes the hint, she opens her mouth to allow me access and I push my tongue further inside her and flick her tongue with mine. "Woah, someone missed me," she says when I pull back and rest our foreheads rest against one another.

"I did miss you, but happier now that you're here."

"I'm happy to be here and don't worry, I missed you too." I drop my hands from her waist and she presses one more kiss on my lips before turning away and walking into the kitchen.

"Mommy," my daughter's voice breaks the silence. "Is Eliza here now?" Sofia walks into the kitchen rubbing her tired eyes open.

"I just got here, Sof, " Eliza says to her picking her up and placing her on the kitchen counter. "Did you just wake up?" She places her arms on both sides of Sofia and presses a kiss onto her forehead.

"Yes, I was tired and I knew that sleeping would make you be here faster."

"Well, I'm glad it worked then." Eliza throws her a wink and reaches for a bag on the floor. "Look what I brought."

Sofia's eyes widen as Eliza takes the contents out of the bag and shows her. "You brought it. You brought your three favorite flavors."

"Of course, I did." Eliza turns to me, "and I brought you your favorite wine." She hands it to me and I mouth the words _thank you._

"Can we put the ice creams in the freezer with ours, mommy?" Sofia says ready to jump off the counter.

"Sure! There's plenty space." Sofia runs off with the ice creams in her arms and heads for the freezer.

Mixing the spaghetti ingredients that are cooking in the pot, Eliza comes behind me and wraps her arms around my waist from behind. "What's with the three flavors of ice cream?"

I turn in her arms and give her a sad smile. "Sorry, she's just super excited. It was something between her and I. We've always had a difficult time choosing just one flavor so we've limited it to three and it's been like that since she can remember."

"That might be the cutest thing ever," she gives me a big smile and a laugh slips through my lips. "I'm serious, Arizona, and I'm more than happy that Sofia included me in it."

"I am, too." I smile and sigh.

"Mommy, I think Eliza can pick the movie for tonight." Sof switches her gaze between Eliza and I.

"I think that's a great idea, but first, dinner. Why don't you both set the table while I finish up cooking?"

* * *

Dinner was amazing and while I'm sitting on the couch waiting for Eliza and Sofia to return with a movie from my office, I can't help but to eavesdrop on their conversation together.

 **S:** "Eliza, do you like my mom?"

 **E:** "I do. I like her than she probably thinks I do."

 **S:** "Good, because I can tell she likes you a lot."

 **E:** "Oh yeah? What makes you so sure?"

 **S:** "I'm her daughter, silly. I know everything."

I clear my throat as they both enter the living room and Sofia rounds the couch to climb onto my lap and settle down under the blanket I've thrown on us. Eliza pops the movie into the dvd player and joins us on the couch sitting next to me. I take her hand and lace our fingers together. She turns to me and flashes a wink before she moves closer into my body and rests her head on my shoulder.

* * *

 **A/N: trust me, their night isn't over yet.. if yknow what i mean. *wink wink***

 **A/N pt2: i'm really hoping to get out another chapter later today! what do you guys think?**

 **BRING ON THE REVIEWS, PLEAAASSEEE!**

 **i'd like to know if you guys are loving it? hating it? want more of it?**


	7. Chapter 7

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

I love how easy Sofia is to get along with. Her bubbly personality, her ability to light up the room with her smile, and her presence that you need around you at all times, are some of the things that mirrors Arizona. The more time I spend with Sofia and Arizona, the more I notice how much Arizona missed her daughter so much. I mean, sure Arizona was coping when her daughter wasn't here. She smiled, laughed, and tried to fill the void. Now that she has Sofia back, her smiles are contagious, her laughter is intoxicating, and she seems happier than ever. Like, no one and nothing can get in the way of that now. I can honestly say, you can tell the difference. You can definitely tell how much Sofia is needed in Arizona's life for her to be happy.

While I was picking out a movie with Sofia, she said that she could tell her mom liked me. I can already feel how welcomed I am and how much Sof doesn't mind having me around. During dinner it was all laughing, conversations about animals and favorite colors, and talking about what was on our Christmas wish list.

Sofia fell asleep in the middle of the watching "Elf" with her legs on Arizona and her head resting on my lap. I don't want to move from this position. If I could, I'd stay like this forever. Arizona's finger's laced with mine, I've noticed I've been watching Arizona more than the movie. "Hey, you okay?" She says looking at me with her brows furrowed.

"I'm perfect, Arizona. Couldn't be any better, actually." I smile at her.

"Thank you for spending the day with us. It means a lot to the both of us." Arizona starts to wiggle from under Sofia. "Let me tuck her in bed real quick and I'll be back to pour us a glass of wine."

"Um, actually." She turns to face me and I shoot her a slight smile. "Can I tuck her in? If you don't mind? I mean, I'd love to, but if you think –"

Before I could finish, she presses her lips against mine and a smile grows across my face. "I had to stop you before you continued. Tuck her in and I'll pour us some wine."

I carefully lift Sofia and head up the stairs towards her room. Her even breaths is enough to let me know she will be out for the rest of the night. I lay her down and bring the sheets up to her chin. She stirs in her bed and lets out a soft sigh. "Eliza?"

"Yes, Sof?" I whisper to her with my hand on her forehead, lightly rubbing her brows with my thumb.

"Promise you won't leave." Her eyes begin to water and my heart shatters into a million pieces.

"I promise I'm not going anywhere." I say with a sad smile. "You have nothing to worry about, okay?" She nods her head. "Can I let you in on a secret?"

"Yes, because I'm a good secret keeper." Her eyes begin to brighten up.

"I bet you are. That's why I'm going to tell you." I throw her a wink and I can see she's getting a little impatient. "I love your mommy and if it's okay with you, I want to ask her to be my girlfriend."

She sits up and gasps taking in more air in her body than her tiny body can hold. "Really? You really want to ask her? Wait, you love my mommy? This is the best news ever. I can't wait."

A laugh escapes through my lips and I can tell she's given me her approval. "I have to wait for the right time to ask her though, okay? So, keep it between just you and me."

"Okay." She goes through the motions of zipping her lips and throwing the key away. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Thanks, Sof." She lies back down and once again I bring the covers up to her chin. "Sleep tight and I'll see you next time, okay?" I stand back up and begin to walk away.

"You mean tomorrow?" I stop in my tracks and turn back around. "You said you'll see me next time, but I want you to be here when I wake up tomorrow."

"Oh, Sof. I'm not sure that's going to happen, but your mommy has my number so whenever you want give me a call. I'll come running, I promise."

She settles down into her bed and I turn off the lights and pull the door closed leaving a slight crack. I head back downstairs to find Arizona sitting on the couch with a filled wine glass in her hand and another on the table in front of her. "Hey, everything okay?" She says as I round the couch.

I grab the wine glass from the table and sit on the other end of the couch facing her. "Everything's good. She just woke up once I put her down, but was out like a light when I tucked her in."

"Good. Thank you for doing that." She gives me a sad smile.

Do I tell Arizona about Sofia wanting me to be here tomorrow? I don't want her to feel pressured into asking me if I want to stay over tonight. Deciding not to bring it up, I sip on my and turn my attention to the tv.

"Eliza," she says breaking the comfortable silence. "Talk to me."

"I'm just taking all of this in, Arizona. Today was such a good day. I just don't want it to end." I turn to her with my brows furrowed and I can tell she's thinking.

"Well, maybe it doesn't have to end like right now." She says, placing her glass on the table. She takes mine from my hand and put it next to hers. She straddles my legs and her body comes into my full view. I can feel my heart beginning to race and jump out of my chest. "Because I can tell you right now, I'm not ready for it to end either."

* * *

 **A/N: two chapters in one day. i bet you guys can sense where this is headed..**

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	8. Chapter 8

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

Today has been a long day for the both of us. We've settled our differences and I'm glad to know we're moving on from our past. Eliza has been amazing towards Sofia and after watching them spend time with each other, it makes me realize that I've been worrying for nothing. I've been so worried about how Eliza would react to knowing I have daughter with my ex-wife that I took matters into my own hands and held back telling Eliza. She's accepted Sofia, and now, Sofia can't let her go.

In this moment, I want Eliza to know how much she means to me. I want to show her how much she means to me and I want her to know that I need her to stay. I can't picture my life without her in it. That's why I've told Bailey to consider Eliza for the job and clearly, it worked.

Having Eliza beneath me, there's nothing I want more than to make her feel amazing. It's been a while since I've had any sort of physical contact and I'm missing it more and more as the seconds pass. As I'm straddling her lap, she has both her hands squeezing my waist.

"Arizona?" She questions me with a sad smile. "Are you sure?"

"I want you, Eliza." I assure her. "Take me to bed." She stands to her feet and I wrap my legs around her waist making sure to never lose contact. Her hands moving from my hips to my ass, I press my lips against hers and she moans in appreciation when I slide my tongue through her lips. Making our way up the stairs and through the hallway, we finally reach my bedroom door. "Tonight is about us, Eliza. Let me make love to you." I say, climbing off of her.

She pushes me up against my bedroom door and crashes her lips with mine. I turn the doorknob and the door flies open. We stumble inside and as she leads me towards the bed, she makes sure to kick the door shut. Removing my shirt and jeans, I turn and gasp at the sight of her being completely naked in front of me.

"You're beautiful, Arizona." She says, almost breathless. She walks towards me and presses her body against mine. Grabbing me by the back of my thighs, she lifts me up and our bodies fall together on the bed. With her on top of me, she can take me any way she'd like. She's in total control now. Her lips are attached to my neck and our hands are exploring each other's bodies. She slides one of my bra straps down my shoulder and cups my breast with her free hand.

Groaning when she pulls away, she sits up and I sit up with her. Not wanting to wait, I unclasp my bra and throw it to the floor. I lie back down and prop myself up on my elbows. Watching as she scoots herself down my body, I know exactly where she's headed. She lowers her head and blows on my core through my laced material covering it. "Fuck," I moan as she curls her finger under the waistband of my panty. I drop my back to the bed and fist the sheets beside me. Eliza slowly slides my panty down my legs and I feel a fresh flow of juices pooling at my core. "Mm, Eliza." I say under my breath. "The teasing's gotta stop."

"Patience, baby." She looks up at me and without warning, she sticks her tongue out and licks my juices that are dripping down my inner thigh. Placing her palm flat against my lower stomach, she parts my folds and pushes her tongue deep inside me, making my eyes roll towards the back of my head.

I sit up and watch her as she slowly drags her tongue out, but before she pulls out all the way, I take her by the back of her head and thrust my hips towards her head, forcing her deeper inside me.

As moans and groans fill the air of the room, I know our night is nowhere ending.

* * *

 **SURVIVING ON REVIEWS!**

 **A/N: i guess i'll continue this fic depending on the reviews it receives. &YES, i'll continue where i left off.**

 **A/N #2: hey, guys! see what i did there? left ya' high & dry. i've been sick with a cold & busy working.**

 **1\. i don't go back & reread my chapters. idk why, i just always end up second guessing it & then feeling like it's not good enough.**

 **2\. no one who knows me knows i'm writing this. it's kind of a secret hidden hobby of mine.**

 **3\. is it really necessary to have a twitter associated with my alias & fanfics?**


	9. Chapter 9

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

Being in Arizona's bed was the last place I'd imagine my night ending. Arizona initiated it the moment she sat on my lap, and to be honest, I'd be a complete fool to stop her. Of course I want this to happen, but I didn't think it would've happened this quickly. Maybe this is exactly what we need as a stepping-stone to move forward from our past. _Wait, no._ I know this is just what we need that'll help us move on.

With Arizona gripping the back of my head, she thrusts her hips being her core onto my face. _Damn, she tastes amazing._ As I moan deep inside her, the vibrations from my mouth causes her to scream and a fresh flood of juice releases from her body and into my mouth. "Shit," she moans as I make sure to lick her clean.

I press my lips against hers and we fall onto the bed together. As I'm lying on top of her, she weaves an arm between us and her hand meets my soaked core. "Fuck, Arizona." I whimper, "I want you so bad."

"You have me, baby." She breathes out while slipping a finger inside me. My body jolts forward at her sudden movement and my head falls to her shoulders. "I want you to cum for me." She pulls out and re-enters, but this time with two fingers. She begins pumping her fingers in and out of my core, and increases her speed and depth with each pump.

As I feel myself reaching my peak, I sit up and squat over Arizona's body while making sure her fingers stay inside me. She holds her fingers up as I bounce up and down on them. "Oh, god." I moan out, almost out of breath. "I-I'm cuming." I softly yell as my walls force Arizona's fingers out of me. Feeling my juices drip down my inner thighs, I lift myself off Arizona and plop myself beside her. "Fuck," I turn my head to face her. "That was-"

"Amazing." She finishes my sentence and shoots me a smile. "Eliza?" She says with her brows furrowed. She turns her body over to her side and drapes her arm around my waist. "Stay with me tonight?"

I smile and nod my head to accept her invitation. She cups my cheek and leans down, placing a soft kiss on my lips. When she pulls away, I take her hand and lace my fingers with hers, "I'd love to." She rests her head on my shoulder and we fall into a comfortable silence. After a couple minutes, I glance down at her and with her eyes shut and her even breaths, it's enough for me to know she fell asleep.

* * *

A few hours pass by and Arizona has made little to no movement since she's been asleep. I'm a bit upset with myself and the restless night I seem to be having. As I lie awake on my back, I'm staring straight up at the ceiling with Arizona's head resting on top of my arm. My body's tired and I'm feeling drained, but my mind is on overdrive with everything that's just happened. Like, I poured all my energy into making Arizona feel amazing, so I don't see why I'm not asleep. I don't understand why I'm not letting the tiredness take over my body.

I swivel my head toward Arizona's end table and squint my eyes at the alarm clock that reads _3:16am._ I throw my head back onto the pillow beneath me and groan. When Arizona begins to stir, I take that as an out and wiggle from under her and go for the robe that's hanging on the back of the door. There's no point in me trying to get any sleep right now. Deciding to take my party of thoughts downstairs, I reach for the doorknob leading out to the hallway and just as I get open the door, "You're leaving me, aren't you?" A sleepy voice pulls me from my actions. "I knew you staying over was too good to be true."

Quickly turning, I almost lose my footing and brace myself on the drawers next to the door. "Arizona, I'm not going anywh-"

"No, it's okay, Eliza." She sits up and rubs her eyes open. "I should have seen it coming."

"What do you mean? You should have seen what coming?"

"You don't want this life. You're beyond beautiful, Eliza. Hell, I'm sure you would be able to get any and every woman you wanted. You don't want a chick with a kid. I mean, why would you? It's alright. Just go before Sofia wakes up, please."

"Woah. Arizona, I'm going to have to stop you right there." I make my way over to Arizona's bedside and sit on the bed beside her. She turns her head away from me and drops her gaze. "How could you say all those things to me? How could you even assume that a family isn't what I want? After spending the day with you and Sofia, it's made me even more sure that a family of my own is what I want. Look at me Arizona." I curl my finger under her chin and lift her head towards mine. "Anyone would be out of their mind not wanting to be a part of you and Sofia's lives."

A tear slips down her face from her watery eyes. "You mean that?" She asks with a bit of hope behind her voice.

"Arizona, I've meant every word I've said to you all day." I try to reassure her. "Look, I understand that because I left, you're scared I'm going to end up doing it again. Even more so now that you have your daughter to look out for. But, if there's anything I've been so sure about, it's that I want you and Sofia to remain in my life."

"I'm sorry. I just –" She drops her head and shakes her head. "I want you, Eliza. I want us to work out. But I'm just scared that one day you're going to wake up and realize this isn't what you want."

"Well, I don't know how else to assure you." I take her hand in mine and lightly brush my thumb over her knuckles. With my free hand, I cup her cheek and our eyes meet. "Arizona, be my girlfriend. Let me show you that you're it for me. I don't want any chick with a kid because I only want _you_ and _your kid."_

Leaning into my touch, she fists her hand in the front of my robe and pulls me in for a kiss. "Be your girlfriend, huh?" A quiet chuckle slipping through my lips, a nod is all I can give her. "I love you, Eliza."

* * *

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	10. Chapter 10

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

I'll have to admit, Eliza and I might be moving forward in our relationship quicker than expected, but to be honest, I don't care. How insane would I be to turn down anything and everything Eliza has to offer? Yeah, that's right. Insanely, insane. I could see in Eliza's eyes the worry behind her asking me to be her girlfriend. I don't blame her. I'm giving her all the reasons right now to be worried that, one of these days, I'm going to push her away by accusing her of picking up and leaving me behind. Since she's returned, she hasn't given me any reason to believe she doesn't want to be here, so that's why I told her I love her.

I love Eliza Minnick. I love how happy she makes me feel and I love how she says all the right things at the right times and says it with complete honesty. Right now, there's nothing I want more than to be her girlfriend and show her that she means more to me than I convey.

When I told her I love her, there was no hesitation behind it. I've loved Eliza way before she left. Sure, I didn't tell her, but now I'm glad I kept it to myself until now because it obviously wasn't the right time and we clearly weren't ready. If I told her I loved her and she left the way she did, I would have been more hurt than I was. Hurt, upset, mad, angry.. every terrible feeling in the world, I would have felt it.

"I love you too, Arizona." Eliza says, sitting next to me on the bed. "I love you, so much."

"You do?" I let out the breath I've been holding. "Oh, thank god."

"Oh, come on. You know I do." She nudges my shoulder and I fall back onto the bed. Patting the space next to me, she lays beside me and we stare at the ceiling. "I wasn't going anywhere, Arizona. I just thought I'd go downstairs and wait for you and Sof to wake up."

"A part of me knew you weren't leaving, but-"

Before I can finish she turns to me, "I know, Arizona. I know it's going to take a while for me to gain your trust back."

"I know you will though and I have no doubt about it." I turn my head and our eyes meet. "When Sofia and I were at the grocery store earlier, she told me how she knew I loved you. It was totally out of the blue when she said it. I asked her how she knew and she simply said it was because of the way I looked at you."

"The way you look at me?" She questions.

"She said the way I look at you is how I looked at Callie when we were married." I feel tears beginning to form in my eyes, but I fight them back and continue. "She went on saying that there was this sparkle that formed in my eyes whenever I looked at Callie, but it went away before we got divorced." A tear sliding down the side of my face, I lift my hand and brush it away with a finger. "Sofia said when I look at you, that sparkle comes back."

Eliza scoots her body closer to mine and turns on her side, propping herself up on her elbow. She cups my cheek with her hand and wipes a stream of tears off my cheek with her thumb.

"You're the one, Eliza. You're it for me. My walls come up and I get so worried that you're going to leave, because I wouldn't be able to handle it. I can't go through that again and especially not with you, because you're everything to me."

I'm pouring out all my emotions to Eliza right now. It just seems like the right thing to do at this point. She makes me vulnerable. I've craved her presence, her touch, and her contagious smile. Being alone with her right now, just us two in the room, I can finally let everything I've been holding in, out.

"Arizona," she says softly. "I want to be the one you and Sofia spend your time with. I want to be the one to take care of the both of you, be the one to make you both feel safe, and be the one to cuddle up with you both at the end of the day." She furrows her brows and drops her gaze. "I just wasn't sure where we stood and I didn't want to seem like I was forcing myself into your lives. I wasn't sure of it all until I brought Sofia into her room to tuck her in."

"What do you mean? You said she fell back asleep right after you tucked her in."

"She did. She fell back asleep after the second time." I shake my head and Eliza lets out a light chuckle. "I wasn't sure where we stood and I wasn't even sure if Sofia knew that me and you were a thing. Before I walked out of her room she made me promise her something." Eliza takes a deep breath and I can see her emotions getting to her, so I wait for her to finish what she has to say. "She made me promise her I wasn't going to leave."

A tear falls down Eliza's face and I bring my lips to her cheek to kiss it away. "Eliza," I give her a smile and I feel my heart slowly being pieced back together. "She made you promise that you weren't going to leave _her._ " She looks at me with confusion. "You think she was asking for you not to leave me?" She nods her head, answering my question. "Sofia doesn't know about Bailey firing you and she has no idea you left afterwards. She made you promise her that you weren't going to walk out of her life."

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

After Arizona clarified my promise to Sofia, I was finally able to fall asleep. My mind was put to ease and I was wrapped in Arizona's arms with her legs thrown over mine. I've never felt so comfortable and relaxed until now. Judging by the brightness of the sky and how rested I feel, I'm almost sure it's already mid morning. Today is the last day of the weekend before I return as a surgeon at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital and honestly, I want to spend today doing whatever it is Arizona and Sofia have in mind. As long as my time is being spent with them, I won't be one to complain.

I'm lying on my side staring at a picture frame standing on Arizona's end table. It's a picture of Sofia sitting on Arizona's lap with her arms wrapped around Sofia's waist. The smiles these two have displayed across their faces makes me feel the unbreakable bond and the immense amount of love they have for each other. I can't help the smile I feel widening on my face as I imagine myself sitting next to them. _Woah, Eliza. Slow down._ Call me crazy. Go ahead and think I'm insane. But anyone will agree with me when I say these two together make up an ideal family. There's nothing I want more than to join their family.

The sound of little feet running down the hall and down the stairs pulls me away from my fairytale. I turn my head to look back at Arizona who seems like she has no intention of waking up anytime soon. I stir a little from under her embrace and scoot my body away from hers when she loosens her grip and turns to face the opposite direction. I take it as my chance to get out of bed and shuffle through Arizona's drawers to find a set of clothes to lounge around in. I throw on an oversized hoodie and sweatpants and make my way out the bedroom door.

Turning back, Arizona's motionless. _She'll be asleep for a while longer._ Going down the stairs, I hear chatter coming from the TV and a soft, quiet laugh coming from a tiny human. As the floor beneath me creaks, a surprised Sofia quickly turns her head in my direction and gasps.

"Eliza!" She yells jumping from the couch, running towards me. "You're here, you're still here!"

I pick her up and she wraps her arms around my neck. "I told you I'd never leave you." I say into her ear.

"Thank you for not leaving." She pulls back giving me a smile and swivels her head looking around the room. "Where's mommy?"

"She's still sleeping. She must've had so much fun with you yesterday that she's pooped out today." I say as a matter of fact.

"I don't think that's why, but Eliza?" I look at her with raised eyebrows. "I'm really really really hungry."

"Hm, well what can I do to help your hungry tummy?"

She rubs her tummy and a small grin appears on her lips. "Do you make amazing pancakes like mommy can?"

"I wouldn't say as amazing, but I can try?"

She nods her head. I put her down from my arms and I make my way into the kitchen with Sofia following closely behind me. "Um," she says hesitantly. I look down at her and our eyes meet. "Can I cook it with you? I always help mommy and I want to help you too. I mix everything inside the bowl and she puts it on the pan and flips it."

"Sof," I say picking her up and placing her on top of the kitchen counter. "How about today I mix everything in the bowl and you put it on the pan and flip it?" Her eyes grow wide and her jaw drops open.

"You would let me do that?"

"Of course, and I'll be right behind you the whole time. That way you can tell mommy you made the pancakes all by yourself. So, you up for doing it?"

"Yes, Yes! A billion times, yes!"

"Okay, Chef Sofia." I throw her a wink and move around the kitchen gathering all the ingredients. "Let me get out everything we need, then you can take charge. Got it?"

"Got it!" She says with a nod. "Eliza?

"Yeah, Sof?" I say with my head poked into the fridge.

"I think this is the first night since I've been here that mommy didn't wake up crying. I think that's why she's still sleeping. She's usually awake before me." I pause my actions and silently wait to see if she has anything else to say in that subject. After waiting a second more, nothing. I close the refrigerator and glance her way. My heart sinks into the pit of my stomach thinking how badly I've hurt Arizona and how Sofia's noticed it. "I think she's had a good night because you're here."

"What?" I try to play it off. "Because I'm here? No way."

"Yes." She corrects me. "Is it selfish of me to always want you here?"

"Definitely not, but may I ask why?" I move closer to her and stand in front of her, placing both my hands on either side of her. "Why is it that you always want me here?"

"Because you care. I feel you care about me and I never felt that with mama's girlfriend Penny. She never talked to me and wanted to get to know me. She never tucked me in like you did last night and before I left New York, they were always fighting because she said she never signed up for a kid." Sofia's eyes fill with tears and my heart breaks for her. My heart's breaking, but I hold back tears of my own to be strong for Sofia. I cup her face with both my hands and furrow my brows. "That's why I asked mommy to come back. She doesn't know all of that and mama doesn't know I heard Penny say that."

Tears falling down Sofia's face I make sure to wipe each and every one of them away. I pull her into a tight hug and as her body begins to shake and tremble with sobs, she buries her face into my chest. "I'm so sorry, Sofia." It's all I can get out right now.

"It's okay because I have mommy." She pulls her face away and looks up at me. "I have you too, right?"

"Of course, you do, Sof. You definitely have me."

Her head sinks back into my chest and I tighten the embrace I have around her. It's silent, but it's a comfortable silence. A kind of silence where we don't have to say anything to each other to feel the love we have for one another. She trusts me enough to pour her heart out to me. She trusts me enough to let her into her life even after she's just been let down. There isn't anything in the world that I wouldn't do to protect Sofia.

We've stayed in the same position for a couple minutes now and the sound of Sofia's stomach growling roars through the air. "We need to work fast to get some yummies in our tummies." I playfully nudge her shoulder and we both break out in laughter.

* * *

As Sofia finishes up pouring the last bit of pancake batter into the pan, I make sure to put away the dishes we've finished using and the left over ingredients we no longer need use of. She flips the pancake cooking on the pan and already, she's a pancake pro. Turning off the stove, we place the pancake on the top of the pancake stack and just as I was getting ready to pour milk into a glass, the doorbell rings throughout the first floor of the house.

I look at Sofia who shrugs and I give her a sad smile. "Wait right here, okay?" She nods in my direction and I head over to the front door. Pulling the door open, a beautiful brunette from behind it appears in front of me.

"Hello," she pauses and her mouth drops open and her eyebrows raise, quickly replacing the smile she had. "Wait, you're not Arizona."

* * *

 _#waitaminnick, did she just?.._ **yup! i did, i did.**

 **should i keep you guys guessing until after the weekend? let me know what you think.**

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	12. Chapter 12

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

Do you ever miss or crave having someone's presence around you? Like, you know when they're absent and everything about you changes? Your mood, your demeanor, your attitude, your ability to smile, your ability to think straight, your ability to _be yourself.._ Well, that's exactly what happened to me. I already wasn't thinking straight when Sofia left to New York, so I had to figure out how to cope, how to manage. _I had to figure out how to be me again._ I did everything in my power to do what I had to do to get over the fact that I let my daughter move thousands of miles away from me.

The divorce was draining. The custody battle over Sofia was indescribably horrendous, but paid off in the end. Then, deciding to let Sofia move to New York with my ex-wife and her girlfriend, I was obviously not in the right state of mind when I made that decision. Sofia and I would talk on the phone every night and facetime with each other almost every other day so I stayed involved in Sofia's life as much as I possibly could being so far away from her. _Thank goodness for technology._ She seemed pretty happy there, I guess. She liked her school, she made friends quickly, but when I asked her about her home life, there was just always something about the way she looked that made me wonder if she was lying to me. When I would ask her how things at home were, she would brush me off and quickly change the subject. I never thought to push the situation, but it did always make me wonder..

After Sofia left, I got into the habit of going through the same daily routine day after day for about two months. I would wake up, work out, go to work, go home, eat a quarter tub of ice cream, and have almost a whole bottle of wine to myself until I fell asleep. I had no social life. I didn't care to have one. Then Eliza came along and broke me out of my unhealthy routine. My situation with Eliza wasn't ideal, but it was fun sneaking around. It was fun trying to have a separate life away from the hospital with someone who didn't know me before my amputation or wasn't there during the divorce and custody battle judging me for the decisions I've made. It was fun to be the bad guy for a bit, but at the same time be able to show Eliza the real me. The me before the amputation and the divorce. The true me. It was fun while it lasted.

When Eliza left, I basically gave up. I gave up caring about everything and gave up on trying to please everyone. Let's just say, I was the furthest away from being true self. After work I started going out to Joe's bar, drinking the night away, and ended up leaving the bar and sleeping with the first girl to approach me. I was trying to fill the void of what I had been missing in my life. The void that was once filled when Eliza was here. Did I fill it? No. But I met a woman at the bar that came home with me one night; only to find out she was Deluca's sister and she was here for business at Grey Sloan Memorial. So, yes. One night turned into many more nights. It was all fun and games with no strings attached until I received a text from Sofia asking if she could come home. I cut her off after that. I cut her off with no explanation why and it was very easy to do so because there was no meaning behind our _nightly meetings._

I'm lying awake and I hear laughter and very faint voices coming from the two most amazing people in my life. I want so much to join them, but my body is not agreeing with me right now. I figured I'd let them have a moment to themselves to bond more. I can help but think how perfect my life is right now and question if it was too good to be true. I have the two loves of my lives with me now and it honestly couldn't be any better than this. The sound of the doorbell breaking me from my thoughts, I squint my eyes and try to think who would be at the door at this time of hour. Nope, I can't think of who it could be. I throw on a comfy change of clothes and make my way downstairs.

"Wait, you're not Arizona." I hear as I slowly and quietly tiptoe down the stairs. I recognize that voice and the sound of her Italian accent.

I hear my girlfriend clear her throat. "Yeah, I'm not. And you are?" I can tell by the sound of her voice that she's getting a bit defensive.

Before she can answer and introduce herself, I run down the remainder of the stairs and make my presence known. "Hey, Carina." They both turn their attention to me and I stand next to Eliza placing my hand on the small of her back. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I've been trying to reach you but you never returned any of my calls or texts." Carina drops her gaze to the ground and without turning my head, I can spot Eliza out from the corner of my eye. She looks disappointed and I can tell by the expression on her face she's a little uncomfortable.

"I'm just going to –" Before she finishes her sentence, she pushes past me and I try to catch her by her wrist but she pulls away faster than I can grip it.

"Eliza, wait." I call out to her, but nothing. I turn my attention back to Carina, who is still standing outside the front door. "Carina, look. We agreed that we weren't going to be anything serious and you knew that I was hurting and in pain. I told you all of that at the bar the night we met." I try to explain to her, but I know my words aren't registering.

"I cant, Arizona." She looks up at me and her face droops. I can tell she's fighting back her tears. "I can't help the way I feel." She shrugs.

"Well, I can't be what you want me to be." I'm trying my best to be easy on her. You know, let her down as easy and painless as possible. "I'm sorry, Carina, but I have to –" I throw my thumb over my shoulder.

"I know." She says nodding. "I just- I can't help but feel this way about you. I don't know what to do."

"I don't know what you want me to tell you and I'm not sure what more I can say. It was never going to work out. I'm sorry." Just like that, I close the door and run off up the stairs. I have to talk to Eliza. I know we weren't together when Carina and I hooked up, but I'm sure she's just as surprised as I am having Carina show up here. "Baby girl?" I call out to my daughter who's sitting on the one of the kitchen stools. "Stay put, we'll be right down, okay?"

I'm standing outside my bedroom door and I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I try to prepare myself for what is going on at the other side of this door, but I'm not even too sure what is going on. I slowly push the door open and I hear movement.

"Eliza?" I call out. I step further inside the room and Eliza just finished putting her jeans on. "Where are you going?" I say sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I'm going back to my hotel room, Arizona." She breaths out and begins to move closer to me. I can see a little hesitation in her body movements when she pauses. "I figured I'd give you two a little space to work out whatever you have going on. You call me if anything, yeah?" Taking her jacket from the floor, she begins to walk towards the door.

"No." She turns back around and gives me a sad smile. I stand and walk towards her. "I won't call you if anything and you won't leave me to work out whatever I have going on with her because there is nothing to work out." I place both my hands on either sides of her waist and pull her body into mine. "I want you and only you, Eliza. Please, understand that. I need you to know that."

* * *

 **thank you all for such amazing reviews! &for that, the cliffhanger ends.**

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	13. Chapter 13

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

Carina? Okay, I didn't expect Arizona to wait around for me when I left and I know I shouldn't be hurt finding out that she had someone else in her life. It was my fault and we weren't together, but still, that doesn't mean I have to like it. Carina's gorgeous and with an accent. I mean, come on. An accent will make anyone stand out.

When Arizona came downstairs and met us at the front door, she immediately knew who was there. Was Arizona expecting her? Did she make arrangements for Carina to come over and then forget to cancel when I showed up unexpectedly? All these thoughts running through my head being the reason why I left them downstairs and gave the space. I didn't know what else to do and it wasn't my place to say anything further. I rushed upstairs to change into my own set of clothes and prepared myself for the possibility of Arizona asking me to leave because she's invited Carina inside to stay. I left them downstairs so they could work out whatever they need to work out and now I'm not sure where that puts Arizona and I. I'm not sure where we stand. Arizona met me in the bedroom just as I was about to head downstairs and out the front door. A huge part of me was glad that she did so though. I was glad because even after Carina showed up, her coming to look for me means Arizona hasn't forgotten that I'm still here.

As I was about to walk out the door she stopped me. She stopped me and all breath has left my body as I'm her approach me. She has me trapped between her body and the door and now I can feel my heart begin to race. "I want you and only you, Eliza. Please, understand that. I need you to know that."

"Arizona," I say quietly, letting out the breath I've been holding. "Are you sure this is what you want? I know that question keeps popping up repeatedly, but I just want to make sure."

"I've never been any more sure. You're all I'll ever want." I nod at her and she fists her hand in the front of my tshirt and pulls me in for a soft, loving kiss.

I smile against her lips and lean my head back in for quick peck on. "We better get downstairs and fast." Arizona leans back and gives me a questioning look. "Before the doorbell rang, Sofia was such a hungry baby bear."

Taking her by her hand, I lead her downstairs and we find Sofia on one of the kitchen stools stuffing her mouth with a forkful of pancakes. "Good morning, big girl." Arizona walks up to Sofia and places a kiss on top of her head. "Wow, you made pancakes, Sof?"

"Me and Eliza made pancakes when you were sleeping." She looks up at me and I throw her a wink. "We wanted to surprise you with breakfast."

"Thank you, ladies. This is a great surprise." She says as I move around the kitchen pouring two cups of hot coffee.

"It was fun cooking with Eliza. She made me cook the pancakes all by myself." Sofia says proud of herself. Arizona shoots her gaze over to me and raises a brow. "Well, I didn't do it all by myself. Me and Eliza held the spatula together and flipped the first couple of pancakes together. And then she stood behind me as watched as I did all the rest."

Arizona's body relaxes and I step in to make sure she knows I was careful with Sofia the entire time we were cooking. "I made sure we were safe and you did a pretty amazing job, Sof. You're a natural."

Arizona places herself on the stool closest to Sofia and I give her the cup of coffee I'm holding in my hand. She puts the cup down on the counter and hooks a finger through one of my belt loops, pulling me to stand between her legs. "Thank you," she says just loud enough for me hear.

"Of course, baby." I lean down slightly and place a kiss on her lips.

"I like this." A small voice says, pulling us out of our actions. Our gazes switch over to Sofia who's looking down, pushing around the pancake she has left on her plate.

"You like what, baby girl?" Arizona questions.

"This. Right now. Being with you and Eliza. And I like how you guys love each other. It just feels good to be around. We're like a happy family."

I look at Arizona and give her a sad smile. From my talk with Sofia this morning, I know exactly where all of this is coming from. My heart breaks for her, but at the same time there's nothing I want more than to be a part of the family she wants, needs, and greatly deserves. Arizona has no idea about anything Sofia admitted to me this morning. She doesn't have a clue and it isn't my place to tell her. I'll wait for Sofia to decide that and if she wants me there, I'll be with her through every word. I'm just hoping that knowing and not saying anything to Arizona doesn't end up biting me in the ass later when she finds out and knows that I knew all along.

I leave Arizona's space and return to the kitchen where I begin to butter my pancakes. "Hey," Arizona says softly to Sofia. "Look at me, please." Sofia looks at Arizona and right when she blinks her eyes, tears start to fall down her face. I can tell by Arizona's facial expression that her heart just shattered into a million pieces as she moves from the stool to stand in front of Sofia. I've had my moment with Sofia this morning, so I'll let these two have theirs right now. "Eliza and I both love you so much, Sof. You know that, right?" Sofia nods her head as tears still continue to fall. Arizona cups her face and wipes away her stream of tears with her thumbs. "We're going to be okay and you know why?" My girlfriend looks up at me and I give her a smile along with a nod. "We're going to be okay because we have each other."

* * *

 **thank you all for such amazing reviews!**

 ** _& yes, _i read each & every one of them. they're heartwarming to receive & pure motivation, so thank you :)**

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	14. Chapter 14

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

It's Monday morning and both Eliza and I are due for a shift at the hospital. After we ate breakfast yesterday, I've recovered all the Christmas decorations and the three of us worked tirelessly to turn the inside of the house into a miniature North Pole, because Christmas is now only a week away. We drank cup after cup of hot chocolate, handmade popcorn garlands, decorated gingerbread cookies, and ended the day watching The Polar Express until Sofia fell asleep. Eliza went back to her hotel room last night after she tucked in Sofia. To say the least, I was bummed when she turned down my offer to spend the night with me again. She had things to do to prepare for her shift and paperwork that she had to finish going over and signing, so I understood why she did, but it doesn't mean I like it. I'm missing her like crazy right now and when I woke Sof up to get ready for school, she jumped out of the bed super excited and the first thing she did was run all around the house in search of my girlfriend. By her sudden mood change, I can tell she was just as upset as I was when she learned Eliza didn't sleepover. But if I'm lucky, I'll hopefully be able to meet up with her this morning over a cup of coffee.

As I drive through the employee parking lot at the hospital, I pull into one of the handicap stalls closest to the entrance and put the car in park. Reaching for my phone from inside my purse, I tap on the screen and search for my girlfriend's name to shoot her a quick text.

 **A: Hey, hope you're having a good morning. Have a minute to meet me at the coffee cart? My treat to celebrate your return!**

Locking the screen, I put it in my back pocket and decide to head into the hospital hoping I receive a text back by the time I get inside. I go towards the direction of the coffee cart and pass the main reception of the first floor.

"Hey, Arizona!" I hear a high-pitched voice call after me.

I swing my body around and acknowledge her as she skips towards me. "Hi, April. Good morning."

"Sooo," she drags out when she reaches me. "Did you hear who was just rehired back at Grey Sloan Memorial?" She playfully nudges my shoulder and we continue to walk together towards the coffee cart.

"Hmm. No, I haven't." I play dumb, but I'm honestly in no mood at all to gossip.

"Eliza's back, Arizona. I saw her in Bailey's office on Friday night and I tried calling you to tell you, but you weren't answering."

"Oh, right. Sorry, just everything with Sofia- I'm still trying to settle her in and make up for lost time, you know?" I'm not lying to her. I'm really not. I just haven't spoken to Eliza about telling everyone at the hospital that we're seeing each other again.

"Okay, well. I just think that you should prepare yourself." She says as we reach the end of the line at the coffee cart. I turn to face her. "With Eliza back and you and Carina, it just won't be pretty."

"Yeah, but you know, Carina and I weren't anything like Eliza and I's relationship. Carina and I we were just- we were just friends with benefits. I barely knew anything about her." April's eyes widen. She clears her throat and begins shaking her head. "There was no emotion involved. I was just using her to fill the-"

"Wow. I knew there was nothing between us but to hear all of that? " I stand, still facing April and I close my eyes and let out a deep breath. "I showed up at your house yesterday to declare my feelings for you, but when that woman opened up the door I knew there was no winning you over. My brother always had nothing but great things to say about you. How you were loving, caring, and such an amazing person all around." She says as her voice starts to sound shaky. I slowly turn to the Italian brunette and my eyes meet her eyes filled with unshed tears. "He tells me all of that about you and that's how you think of me?"

"Carina, I didn't mean it like-" I try to reason with her.

"You've said enough, honestly." She gets out of line and runs towards the exit of the hospital.

"Wait!" I try calling after her, but she exits faster than the word can come out my mouth. My cell phone vibrating in my back pocket, I reach to grab it and April comes to stand in front of me. "I swear, I hope today gets better." I say under my breath and let out a sigh. As the screen on my phone lights up, I feel a smile slowly appearing on my face when Eliza's name pops up on my phone.

 **E: Hi, beautiful. Well, it just turned into a good morning now. Can I meet you at the coffee cart in a minute?"**

 **A: I'll be waiting.**

"So," April breaks me out of my happy thoughts. I look up from my phone and she's glaring at me like I have some explaining to be doing. "What woman did you have answering your front door at your house yesterday?" She raises a brow and crosses her arms in front of her body.

"Eliza. She came over Friday night after she met with Bailey. I had no idea she was coming back and when I was about to return your call, she was already ringing my doorbell." I know I'm under no obligation to explain anything to anyone regarding my relationship, but I'm not going to keep it a secret anymore. I'm done being secretive. I'm done hiding. I'm done worrying about other's feelings and thoughts. So, out with it. _Right?_

"Arizona."

"April, if you're going to try to talk me out of it and tell me how horrible of a person Eliza is, then I think you shouldn't be one to talk or judge because-"

"Woah, Woah," she says laughing. Just then, arms wrap around my waist and my body instantly relaxes into her embrace. Soft lips pressing against the side of my neck, Eliza rests her chin on my shoulder. "I was just going to tell you that I'm very happy for you. You deserve this, Arizona. You deserve to love and be loved."

* * *

 **A/N: don't worry, everyone! there's more of Carina coming up!**

 **thank you for all your reviews! they're heartwarming to receive & pure motivation.**

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	15. Chapter 15

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

 **E: Hey, are you free for lunch with me?**

Tucking my phone back into the pocket of my white lab coat, there's nothing I need more right now than my girlfriend. Today has really been kicking my ass and it's not even noon. Having Arizona here with me will only motivate me to push through. I have no intentions of leaving, but her support will mean the world to me at this point. I'm sure it's going to take some time to find my own groove and fall into a rhythm of my own, but it's just not happening fast enough to my liking. As far as employees, everyone seems to be okay with my return. Okay, I'll take that back. Everyone seems to be tolerating my return. I know it's going to take some time for me to get on everyone's good side, but I'm not here to kiss anyone's ass. I'm here to do my job and maintain a healthy and stable relationship with Arizona.

I pull my phone out of my pocket to check if I've received a text back. A frown instantly forms on my face when see that I have no new notifications. Right now, I'm working in the pit alongside Kepner and so far she is the only one that knows Arizona and I are back together.

"Hey, lighten up. She was already gone before she was wheeled through the double doors." April says, trying to cheer me up.

"Yeah, I know. It doesn't get any easier, does it?"

"Nope. It never does. But," Letting out a sigh, she places a hand on my shoulder. "You take the loss and you move forward. It helps you thrive harder than the last."

I turn to face her and give her a genuine smile. "Wow, you sound a lot like someone I know."

"Where do you think I got it from?" She says playfully. I take a seat behind the counter in the emergency room to glance over some charts. April walks away and proceeds down the hall, she turns back to me and says as she walks backwards. "You have a keeper, Minnick. Hold on to her tight."

I'm very aware of what I have. I was full of pride and stupid enough to walk away the first time, so trust me when I say, you never know what you have until it's gone. I'm beyond lucky that she took me back and let me into her life once again. I won't dare try pushing my luck.

"Soo," a familiar voice pulls me from my work. The voice I've been longing to hear since we were last together. "Who is she? Why is she a keeper? And why do you have to hold onto her tight?"

I look up from the scans I have in my hand and I'm met with the most beautiful blonde alive, standing in front of me on the other side of the counter. "Well, I can tell you this." I squint my eyes and lean closer to her, "no one in the world compares to you."

She brings her hand up to cup my face and brushes her thumb over my lower lip. "God, I love you so much." She says showing me a dimpled smile. "And I'll always be available to have lunch with you."

"I love you too." I lean into her touch and I swear, being around her puts my mind at ease.

* * *

It's finally lunchtime and Arizona and I are sitting at one of the tables in the cafeteria. The room starts filling up with employees and as I take a look around, I'm beginning to recognize a couple faces.

"So, how's your first day back going?" She shoves a forkful of salad into her mouth and looks at me waiting to answer.

I think back to this morning and the patient I had to call time of death on. I clear my throat and shake my head. I'm trying to make the image of the lady lying motionless on the gurney, leave my mind. I take a deep breath and she drops her fork to take my hand in her own. "Well, it's at least going better than I've imagined it."

She runs her thumb over my knuckles and gives me a sad smile. "We all have those kinds of days, but it'll get better. I promise." I nod my head in agreement. When we turn our attention back to our food, an empty chair is pulled from the table and Karev takes a seat at the table with us.

"Hey, ladies." He sets a tray holding his food down on the table and takes a bite of his apple. "Robbins, do you think you can make it to rounds with me? I have a kid that we've treated together and well, he's back and showing the same symptoms."

"Of course, I'll meet you on the floor. Just page me when you're ready." Her phone lights up from beside her food tray and she takes a peek at the message displayed on the screen.

A pager roaring loudly through the air, Karev and I quickly take our pagers out from our pockets and bring it to our eye level. "Phew," I let out, grateful that the noise wasn't coming from mine.

"9-1-1. Robbins, I'll page you for rounds." Alex stands to his feet and picks up his tray. "Minnick, glad to have you back." _Wow, easier than I thought._ Before I can appreciate him, he takes off and I sit back in my chair. I turn to look at Arizona who's still looking at her phone and she's shaking her head. "What's wrong?" I ask her, my voice filled with concern.

"Nothing. It's nothing." She closes her eyes and inhales a deep breath in. "I'm sorry. I just-" Without finishing, she stands and walks away.

My mouth opening, she leaves before I can even get a word out. What did I do? What just happened? I'm not even sure what I did wrong or if I even did anything wrong at all. Do I chase her? Does she want me to? Or does she want to be left alone? First things first, who was the text from and what did the text say?

* * *

 **anyone have a guess on where this is headed?**

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 **RANDOM: okay, everyone. i've got a bit of a confession.**

 **call me lame, but to me the most emotional episode of Grey's is the custody battle for Sofia (12x22). i've made a playlist that consists of songs from Grey's episodes and when i write, i have it playing in the background. Andra Day - Rise Up ignites all the feels. seriously, i was not expecting Arizona to be standing behind the door when Meredith opened it.**

 **oh, &when i first started watching Grey's Anatomy (which was a month away from when the winter premiere of season 13 aired on tv) Arizona was my least favorite character. _look how well that worked out_.**


	16. Chapter 16

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

I didn't mean to storm out on Eliza during lunch, but it was a whole lot better than letting my emotions run loose in the middle of the cafeteria for everyone in it to see. After lunch, Alex paged me for rounds on the Peds floor and as soon as we figured out a treatment plan for the kid, I went to find Bailey to make a request to take some time off.

" _Are you sure this isn't about Minnick coming back to work here, Robbins? After all, you were the one who recommended her for the position."_

This isn't about Eliza. It has nothing to do with Eliza. Eliza has been nothing shy of perfect. I'm almost definite she's thinking she did something wrong or she's thinking she did something that caused me to walk out. I know I shouldn't have left her the way I did, and believe me, I regretted it the minute I walked out. But, this is something I need to deal with alone. This is something I need to handle on my own with Sofia. Once Bailey approved my request for time off, I left the hospital and went to pick up Sofia from school. I should've taken a minute to send a quick text to Eliza apologizing for earlier and to assure her that she's done absolutely nothing wrong, but the minute I left the cafeteria I turned my phone off and had no desire to turn it back on since.

We've been home for a couple hours now and Sofia's sitting on the couch across from me. _Silence_. We're both afraid to initiate conversation, so we've been sitting in complete silence for what feels like a decade. I know she knows what this is about. It's written all over her face. 

* * *

**_A/N: short chapter to keep you guys guessing. but, what do you think? i kinda wanted to do this next chapter Sofia's pov._**

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	17. Chapter 17

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _SOFIA'S POV_

 _ **Flashback..**_

 _Walking down the stairs of our New York loft, I round the corner and hear my mama and Penny in the middle of a heated discussion. I tiptoe the last couple of steps to the wall that is separating me from them and flush my back against it._

 _"I gave up everything to be with you in New York, Penny. My whole life in Seattle, the career I've built at Grey Sloan, and if it wasn't for Arizona being the person she is, I've almost had to sacrifice being without my daughter." I can hear the frustration behind my mama's words as her tone begins to rise. "I don't know what else you want from me. I'm doing everything I can for us, but," she pauses and lowers her voice. "I'm beginning to think that it's not good enough for you.. That maybe I'm not good enough for you."_

 _Last night, mama read me a chapter from the book A Wrinkle in Time and tucked me into bed. Minutes later, I was out like a light. It's a good thing it's the weekend and I don't have to wake up early for school today, but judging by the dark sky out the window, it's probably a bit after midnight. Mama probably waited up for Penny to get home from working her regular late night shift at the hospital. I'm never awake to greet Penny home from work, but with the loud banging of kitchen cabinets closing and bedroom doors shutting, it was hard not to be disturbed._

 _"Callie," Penny says with her voice breaking and now it's pretty obvious she's crying. "I don't know."_

 _"You don't know what? What don't you know? Just say what's on your mind. Whatever you have to say just spit it-"_

 _"I didn't ask for this, Callie!" Penny cuts mama off from finishing her sentence and her sudden yelling causes me to jump a little. "After the custody battle, we went our separate ways because you needed to be wherever Sofia is. I was fine with that._  
 _Then, you said you were coming to be with me. You said that everything fell into place and you were flying out the next day to be with me. I was under the impression you were-"_

 _"Don't Penny." Mama says softly. "Don't say what I think you're going to say."_

 _"Let me finish, Callie! You told me to tell you what's on my mind and I'm trying to! When you told me you were coming for me, I was under the impression you were coming alone." Now I can hear mama sobbing. "I didn't ask for this, Callie. I didn't ask to be a mom. I want you. I want you and me. I didn't sign up for a kid. I never did."_

 _I push off the wall and run back into my room. The room where I know I'll hold myself hostage until I get out of here. Out of New York. Out of Penny's way. I'll stay in here until I figure out a way to tell mommy I'm ready to go home to her. I jump back into bed and wrap the blankets tightly around my body. At least these blankets will hold me through the night as I cry out all the tears I have in my body._

* * *

 _ **Present..**_

I'm sitting on the couch in front of mommy and I've never seen the look she has on her face right now. She looks disappointed, but I didn't do anything wrong. Or, at least I don't think I've done anything wrong. I have a funny feeling I know what this is about but I don't want to make any false assumptions, so I'll let her be the one to bring it up first.

"Sofia," she says letting out a sigh. "So, mama texted me last night when you were already asleep. She asked if she could call you on facetime because she needed to talk to you about something important. Something that might have happened? Or possibly some words that you might have overheard."

"It's okay. I don't have anything I want or need to say and I didn't hear anything." _I'm trying my best to act oblivious, but I'm almost sure she's not falling for it._

"Sof, come here." She pats the empty space on the couch next to her and as I take a seat, she turns her body so she's facing me. She takes both my hands in each of her own and runs her thumbs over my knuckles. "I need you too look me in the eyes and tell me everything. You can tell me everything and anything." _Great, she knows._ I lower my head and now I'm letting my emotions get the best of me as mama and Penny's conversation replays in my head. A tear slipping down my face from my eyes, it drops onto mommy's hands. "Sofia," her voice soft and calm." Please look at me, baby." I raise my head slowly and my eyes look everywhere around the room, but fail to meet mommy's eyes. She curls a finger and places it under my chin to stop my head from lowering back down. "Talk to me. Let me in."

 _There's no holding back now, Sofia._

"Mama got the letter I left her, didn't she?" I ask her as fresh tears leave my eyes.

Mommy nods her head. "She did." She cups my cheek with her hands and wipes away all my tears with her thumbs. "Penny also got the letter you left for her."

"Good. Penny deserved it." I say under my breath.

"Sofia Robbin, what you said was not ni-" _Not nice? NOT NICE?! All said in the letter was 'I hate you.' I hate you sounds a whole lot better than, I'm sorry, Sofia. I don't want you around.'_

"She hurt me." I'm trying to justify my actions, but I'm still unsure if she knows everything. "Penny hurt me with what she said."

"Baby, that's why I need you to tell me what happened? What did she say?" She furrows her brow and gives me a sad smile. "I need you to tell me what happened because whatever it is it's made mama feel real guilty. She's coming, Sof." My eyes widen and my heart drops to the pit of my stomach.

"She's coming here?"

"She's leaving New York tomorrow morning."

"But, I don't want her to come. I don't want to see her, mommy." I'm practically begging now. I don't want to see mama. I'm just not ready to. After the night I heard her and Penny arguing about me being there, mama barely spoke to me. She was quiet. Distant. I could tell she was hurting. She loves Penny and I want her to be happy. If me being there was the problem, I'd be somewhere I know I'll be loved with someone who fought so hard to keep me in her life. Biological or not, you know what I mean. "Fine, I'll tell you everything. But only on two conditions."

"Name 'em."

"First one, you have to tell mama not to come. You'll understand why and why I'm not ready to see her yet, once I tell you everything." She nods her head. "And second, before I tell you everything, you have to call Eliza and tell her to come over. I want her here and I know she's the only one who can make you and me feel better afterwards. So, please, mommy?"

Reaching for her phone that's set on top of the coffee table in front of us, she powers it on. "You know I love you, right? I love you, with all my heart."

* * *

 **MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!**

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	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: thank you all for the amazing reviews from the previous chapter! i was not expecting that at all!**

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 **SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

Eliza arrived at the house over an hour ago and since she's been here, she hasn't left my side. Once I turned on my phone, I received multiple text messages and voicemails from her that she sent from the time I stormed out of the cafeteria to a couple minutes before I called her. Thinking back, it breaks my heart that I left her thinking she did something wrong and left her without any explanation. But at the time, it just wasn't clear why Callie would text me to say she'll be on a flight to come here tomorrow.

 _ **Earlier that day..**_

 _C: "Hi, Arizona. I found a letter that Sofia left inside my medical bag for me. She also left one for Penny hidden inside her coffee cup. Well, it wasn't much of a letter because all it said was, 'I hate you Penny.' But look, I've booked a flight out tomorrow that arrives in Seattle late afternoon. Would it be okay if I came over to see her after school tomorrow? She may have overheard something that was said during an argument between Penny and I."_

 _A: "What do you think Sofia heard, Callie?"_

 _C: "I don't want to assume what she might've heard, so I don't want to say anything. Would it be okay if I come over to talk to her?"_

 _I leave Bailey's office and make my way to my car. I need to pick up my daughter and straighten out this mess before Callie comes. Hopefully, she'll talk to me. I'm hoping she'll tell me everything she heard without me having to pry it out of her. If Callie feels guilty enough to book a plane ticket and leave the day after she found the note, whatever Callie thinks Sofia heard must be bad. Bad? What could be that bad? My mind instantly thinks bad thoughts and I shake my head. It was that bad that Sofia wrote to Penny saying she hates her. I swear, if Penny or Callie said something that broke my daughter's heart, it's going to take a lot more than apologizing to get me to trust them around Sofia. Biological or not._

 _ **Present..**_

Once Eliza walked through the door and into the house, she sat beside Sofia and I while Sofia told me everything she heard that night. My anger building by the second, by every word Sofia said about that night, I was in disbelief about it all. I still am. I allowed my daughter to go to New York thinking that it would have made everyone happy. Thinking it was the best thing to do in a crappy situation. I sent her to New York thinking Callie would protect our daughter from everything and anything. It's not Callie's fault, I get that, but still. UGH!

"Arizona," the sweet voice of my girlfriend pulls me from my thoughts. "You've been staring out the window for quite a while now." She walks to my side and places a hand on the small of my back.

"I know. I just- this could've been prevented. If I didn't make Sofia go with her, this wouldn't have-" my eyes begin filling with tears that threaten to fall. I feel my knees getting weak, but both of my hands resting on the counter braces my body from falling.

"Don't. Don't do that to yourself, Arizona. Sofia is fine and she's okay now. She's okay now because she's here with you."

She's right. Sofia is here with me now and I wouldn't allow anyone into my life that doesn't approve of having my daughter around. I would cut them from my life immediately, that's for sure. "When she was telling us everything, did you see her face? Her sobs?" I pick my head up and turn to look at Eliza. "I just want to take it all away from her and erase whatever she heard."

"Of course you do. That's what any mother would want to do after their child's heart was just broken." She curls her finger and places it under my chin while her thumb brushes my chin. "I just don't want you to worry about it too much now because Sofia's here and now that you and I both know, we're going to do anything and everything to get her through it and make sure this doesn't happen again." I let out a sigh and nod my head. "Good. Now, Sofia's asking to go for pizza and ice cream, I told her I'd talk to you first. She took it as a yes, so she's upstairs grabbing her shoes and jacket."

"As long as you'll be there with us," I shoot her a dimpled smile. "Thank you for being here, Eliza. For me, for Sofia.. Just- Thank you. It means a lot." I lean into her and place a soft kiss on her lips.

She pulls back and a smile widens on her face. "Arizona, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." She fists the front of my shirt and brings her lips against mine for another soft, sweet kiss.

"Before we go though, I just need to make a quick call. If that's okay?" I say pulling back from her. I move towards my phone that's sitting on top of the coffee table in the living room and Eliza follows right behind me. "Callie's flying in tomorrow and Sofia asked me to call her to cancel."

"Callie really thinks that's the best thing to do right now?" She scoffs.

"I know. The letter that Sofia left for her must have really opened her eyes, I guess." Scrolling through the contacts on my phone, I hit Callie's name and press the phone against my ear. "Straight to voicemail."

Sofia comes running into the living room with her shoes and jacket on. "I'm ready to go." She stands next to Eliza and reaches for her hand to hold. "Mommy, did you call mama?"

"I tried, Sof. It just went straight to voicemail." I slip my jacket over my shoulders and walk over to where Sofia and Eliza are standing. I kneel down to get eye level with my daughter. "I'll keep trying though, okay?" She nods her head and I give her a sad smile. "We're going to get through this together and if you ever need to talk or anything at all, I want you to come to me or Eliza, got it?"

"Got it, mommy." She says with a big smile on her face. Looking at Eliza, Sofia tugs on her arm and her and Eliza's eyes meet. "Thank you for coming when we called you."

"Hey, remember what I told you? To call me whenever you need me and I'll always come running?" She places her hand on top of Eliza's head and runs her fingers through her hair. "I meant it. I will always come running, Sof."

The smile Sofia has on her face fills my heart with pure joy and happiness because I know she's in good hand with Eliza and I around. "Okay, ladies. Pizza and ice cream, what do you say?"

"Yes, please!" Sofia shouts excitedly. The three of us make our way to the front door with Eliza and Sofia leading the way out. They haven't let go of each other's hands yet and I smile at the sight of how much they get along. Sofia pulls the door open and drops her hand from Eliza's. "Mama?"

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	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: again, the support &amazing reviews i've received have been a true blessing. THANK YOU! **

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**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

Have you ever been torn between doing what you know is right and doing what you think is right? Trust me, there's a huge difference between the two. I've always kept in the back of my head that being in Sofia's life, I could never and would never try to replace Callie. Callie is her biological mother and Arizona's ex-wife. I wouldn't push myself into any situation or invite myself to be where I'm obviously not wanted.

When Arizona called me to come over because Sofia's asked for me and because she wanted me there as well, I never once questioned why. I had just gotten off of my shift at the hospital and spent a whole ten minutes in my hotel room changing into more comfortable clothes. I hadn't even got off the phone with Arizona when I threw my purse around my shoulder, gathered my keys, and left the hotel. I would do anything and everything for Arizona and especially for Sofia. The morning Sofia and I made pancakes together, she told me what she overheard Penny telling Callie. I saw how heartbroken she was and how much it bothered her that she had been living under the same roof with someone who didn't want her there. She had been staying with someone who considered her of being in the way. It's not Sofia's fault. She's just a child and is told to go wherever she's told to and be wherever she's told to be. Now, after Arizona knows, she's putting the blame on herself. I believe she shouldn't be though. She did whatever she thought was the best thing to do for everyone, even if it meant putting her own happiness aside. It is my job now, to fight for them. To fight for my family and protect them from any harm that comes their way physically, mentally, and emotionally. Because, I know it's the right thing to do.

"Mama?" The sound of a shocked, disappointed Sofia stops the three of us in our tracks. Callie lifts her head and looks right at Sofia, shooting her an award-winning smile.

She slowly starts to walk towards Sofia with her arms out. "Mija, I've missed you."

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Sofia take a slight step backwards. I place my hand on her shoulder and guide her back to Arizona. I step in front of her and shake my head. "No. Don't do that," I say quietly.

"Um. Excuse me, but who are you?" Callie spits.

I take a peek behind me and Arizona is knelt down to Sofia's eye level with her hands cupping both of her cheeks. "Baby girl, why don't you go upstairs and wait for me there? I'm going to have a talk with mama, okay?"

"I'm Eliza. I'm a surgeon at Grey Sl-" I take a step onto the porch.

Before I'm able to finish, Arizona cuts me off and stands next to me. "This is my girlfriend, Callie."

"I don't care who she is." She turns to look at me, "this is between me and my family, so you can actually leave."

"Family?" My girlfriend scoffs.

"Um, actually, I won't be going anywhere. Not unless Arizona or Sofia want me to leave, but they've specifically asked me to be here so.." I shrug my shoulders and Callie rolls her eyes.

"Anyways," Arizona says, lightly nudging me in the shoulder. "Callie, you told me you were flying in tomorrow."

"Well, I was but I got a call from the airlines saying they had an opening, so I booked that instead. I would have called to tell you, but it just happened so fast and I couldn't turn it down."

"Okay, but Callie. I tried calling you about 30 minutes ago to tell you not to come."

"What? What do you mean?" Callie furrows her brows and her eyes fill with tears.

"When I told Sofia you were coming tomorrow to see her, she asked me to call you and tell you not to come." Tears fall from Callie's eyes and I place my hand on the small of Arizona's back for support. "She's not ready to see you, Callie. She's not ready to talk about it with you."

"I just wanted to make sure she's okay and I wanted to see for myself that she's okay."

"Sofia's fine, Callie. She's doing great, even." Turning her head, Arizona looks at me and gives me a sad smile.

"I'm not going to leave until she talks to me." She dries her tear stained cheeks with her hands and stiffens her posture. "I'm her mother, Arizona. I need to know she's okay and I need to talk to her about what she heard that night."

"You know, Callie. I'm going to be completely honest with you right now." She starts walking closer to Callie and points her finger in her face. "You're lucky that you even saw Sofia for that brief minute, because she told me what she heard. She told me what Penny said about her and she also told me how you were distancing yourself from her whenever Penny was around after the argument. I don't care how long you stay here and honestly, I really don't care if it takes you forever. You aren't going to pressure Sofia into talk to you, and you aren't going to win her over by crying and sobbing to her for your forgiveness."

"I'm not going to try win anyone over, Arizona. I know what I have to do to get my daughter back and I'm going to do whatever it takes. I hope you know that."

"I'm done playing your games, Callie. You try so hard to get your way by making everyone feel sorry for you. Well, guess what. You may be her mother, Callie." She pauses and steps back away from Callie. "But saying you are and actually acting like her mother are totally separate things."

"I AM her mother, Arizona." She says raising her voice. She turns to look at me and squints her eyes checking me from head to toe. "I'm her mother. There's no way you'll ever come close to being an important aspect in her life."

"Okay, well-"

The door opening behind us, a tiny voice stops me from finishing my sentence. "I want Eliza to stay in my life." Everyone turning their attentions to Sofia, she steps out from the house and on the porch. She takes my hand in her own and I tighten my grip. "If you're not going to leave Seattle until I talk to you about that night, then I'd like to talk to you now. I want to get it over with." She turns to meet Arizona's gaze and nods her head.

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	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: wow! i was definitely not expecting all your amazing reviews & feedback. thank you so much!**

* * *

 **SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

I'm the type of person to put other people's happiness before my own. Especially the people I love. I have no problem sacrificing my own happiness, feelings, and heart if it meant making someone else happy. To be honest, I'm over it. I'm over putting other people and their happiness before myself because in the end, I was the one who always got screwed over. So trust me when I say, it won't be happening again.

I've allowed Sofia to go to New York with Callie, because it felt like it was the right thing to do. I felt sorry for her and how the whole custody battle went down. She proceeded with the custody battle feeling like she would be awarded sole custody being that she's Sofia's biological mother. It just goes to show, blood had absolutely nothing to do with it. The day I handed Callie two plane tickets to New York for her and Sofia, it took me almost the whole day trying to bribe and convince her to be down with the idea of going. After a bucketful of tears were cried and the questioning of me not loving her anymore were thrown around, of course it broke my heart. I mean, to fight so hard for Sofia and prove to everyone in the courtroom that I'm just as much of her mother as Callie is, it tore me apart to see her go to New York without me. It was a decision I knew I had to live with. It was a decision I knew Sofia would come back to me and question why. But I never once thought it would be a decision I'd ever regret. Until now.

Sofia wasn't ready to face Callie just yet. She wasn't ready to let Callie back into her life just yet either, but who could blame her? Callie and I's divorce meant our family was going to be divided, something Sofia never asked for. It was one of those situations where we were better apart than together.

Sofia walking out of the house and taking Eliza's hand for reassurance that she had her by her side, was enough to make me know that Sofia has all she needs with us supporting her. I place my hand on Sofia's shoulder and swing her around to face me. She doesn't need Callie's sympathetic pleading influencing her decisions. I take a knee in front of her and fist my hands on the front of her jacket. "Baby girl, you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Sofia drops her gaze to the ground and says under her breath, "but I want to so she can leave. I want her to leave us alone, mommy. I want things to be how they were always supposed to be, like I never left to New York."

"Hey, look at me." I curl a finger and place it underneath her chin to raise her head. "Everything will be okay, I promise."

I pull her in for a tight and much needed hug. "You and Eliza are going to be there with me, right?" She says into my ear.

"We wouldn't be anywhere else."

* * *

The four of us eventually moved the _party_ inside the house andnow we're sat around the dining table with Callie sitting across the three of us. Eliza's arm draped around Sofia's shoulder and my fingers laced with Sofia's own, I swear with the three of us anything is possible.

"Mija," Callie begins. "What Penny said that night, she was tired and delusional. She didn't mean anything she said."

"Don't lie for her, Callie." I quickly jump in.

"I'm not lying for anyone. It's true. Penny had just gotten home from a long night shift at the hospital. If anyone knows what that feels like, it would be us because we all go through it."

"Well," Eliza says, staring Callie down. "It doesn't erase what she said."

"I'm sorry, but why are you still here?" Callie spits with a bit of an attitude.

"Because I want her here and I asked her to be with me." We turn to meet the gaze of the tiny human whose voice is shaky and words are broken when she speaks. "Penny said she didn't sign up for a kid. She said she thought it was just going to be you that was going to New York and I was going to stay with mommy."

Callie's head drops as Sofia recalls what was said that night. "Sofia, I-"

"Eliza talked to me more in a couple days than Penny ever did since you and her started dating. I know Eliza would never ever say those kinds of things about me. I should have known you were always going to put Penny before me."

"You know that's not true, Sofia."

"Then why weren't you there? If you can give me a good reason why you weren't there that night, then I'll forgive you right now."

Eliza and I turn our heads towards Callie with confused expressions. "What night, Sof?" Eliza asks her.

"She knows what night I'm talking about." Sofia stands from the chair and waits for Callie to answer.

"Answer the question, Callie." I know Callie feels defeated. It's written all over her face.

She takes a deep breath in. "Penny had been chosen to participate in a once in a lifetime surgery the night of-"

"Penny." Sofia scoffs. "That's why you weren't there the night of my solo in my school's recital. You missed it because of Penny. You put her before me. No mom does that." She turns away from the table and begins to walk away.

"Sofia, wait." Callie calls out after her.

"Sof," Eliza says, almost in sync with Callie.

Sofia stops in her track and turns around looking at Callie with her tear stained cheeks. "I killed it that night at my recital. I was the best they've ever seen. It sucks that you weren't there because besides you and me, there are two other people in this room that I know would have loved to have been there. I'm where I've always belonged with who I've always should've been with. Go home, mama. Go be where you belong and be with whom you belong with. I'll be okay and you and me will be okay, too. Just right now, I need time." She turns back around and storms upstairs, leaving the three of us sitting at the table, speechless.

"Callie," she has her head down on the table and her body shakes as she sobs. "She'll come around." I tell her, doing my best to console her.

"I tried, Arizona. I tried to make them both happy at the same time, but it got to be too much to handle."

"Go make things right with Penny and hopefully by the time things clear up with you guys, Sofia will be ready to forgive you."

Callie picks her head up from the table and nods her head. "Take care of her for me?" She says looking at Eliza. "You're a good person, Eliza, especially if Sofia sees it. Go to all her school recitals and school plays, pick her up when she's down, just be there for her, for me. Please?" She stands to her feet and throws her jacket around her shoulders.

"Of course I will, Callie." Eliza says, giving Callie a sad smile.

I stand from my seat and place my hand on Eliza's shoulder. "I'm going to check on Sofia. Callie?" Her eyes meeting my own, "Take care of yourself." I walk through the lower level of the house and make my way up the stairs.

"I better get going." I hear Callie telling Eliza. I proceed up the stairs and the front door opens downstairs. "Don't make the same mistakes I've made." I stop in the middle of the staircase and wait to hear anything else she might have to say. "Trust me, Eliza. You don't know what you have until it's gone." With that, the front door closes.

* * *

 _SOFIA'S POV_

Did I do the right thing? Was I too hard on her? I probably should have just kept everything to myself. I shouldn't have written the letter to mama and Penny explaining how much I hated them, I shouldn't have said anything to anyone. Then maybe this whole mess could've been avoided. I'm lying on my bed, looking up at the ceiling with streams of tears sliding down the sides of my face. A light knock on my door pulls my mind away from thoughts of regret and the door creaks open. Mommy pokes her head in and her calm voice fills the air of my room. "Sof? How are you doing?" I sit up on my bed and rest my back against the headboard. Shaking my head, I bring my legs into my chest and wrap my arms around them. Mommy comes to sit next to me on the bed and puts a hand on one of my legs. We look into each other's eyes and she brushes my leg with her thumb. "Talk to me, please?"

"You raised me how Grandpa raised you and that was to be a good man in a storm and to protect the people you love. I ran at the first sight of a storm and I love mama, but instead of protecting her, I hurt her." I bury my face into my legs and my words almost too faint to hear, "I let you down, mommy. I let you down and I let mama down too."

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	21. Chapter 21

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

After I walked Callie out, I pick up the phone and search for the pizza parlor we were supposed to go to for dinner to place an order for delivery. I feel bad that our plans were ruined, but it's pretty safe to say we weren't expecting Callie to show up at the doorstep tonight. I'm sure Arizona and Sofia could use some time to themselves right now, so I'll make sure they've got food on the way, check if there's anything else I can do for them, and then I'll be on my way out.

As soon as I get off the phone, I walk up the stairs and down the hall to Sofia's room. Once I reach the outside of her bedroom, I curl my hand into a fist and raise it to the door to knock. "I let you down, mommy. I let you down and I let mama down too."

I drop my hand and wait for a response from Arizona. "Baby girl, you are exactly how I was when I was your age. And you? Let us down? Never."

"Then why do I feel like I did the wrong thing? Why do I feel like the worst person in the world right now?"

"Sometimes there are things we have to do, but don't want to. Or we have to do things we never imagine doing. When it comes to the people you love, Sof, you become very vulnerable. You give them a piece of your heart and doing so, you give them the power to hurt you but trusting them not to." I turn around and lean against wall beside the door. I hear the faint sniffles coming from Sofia and honestly, my heart aches. "You handled that very well, big girl. Listen, I know things seem as bad as it can get, but she still loves you very much. Don't forget that."

"I just want to forget that anything ever happened and I want to feel happy again."

"I know it's going to take some time for things to get back to the way they were, but I'll tell you what. You have the next two weeks off from school because of the holidays, well I thought it would be a good idea to maybe spend the next two weeks off together?"

Sofia gasps. "Yes, yes, yes!" The sound of her being more excited than I've ever heard her be, makes me smile to myself.

I can't imagine missing out on an important night that means the world to Sofia and I've only just met her. She's so young and at the age where it doesn't take much to make her happy. Right now would probably be the most crucial time of her young life. I try to think far back to the time when I was her age and still craving the attention of my parents. Being Sofia's age, every week I'd look forward to family game night on Fridays, I'd run into my parents' room in the middle of the night when a storm would cause a tree branch to hit against my bedroom window, and when a person I've considered a best friend would stab me in the back, I would depend on my parents to pick me up. I can't bring myself to think about missing out on an opportunity to be there for Sofia. I can't think of any reason that could justify why Callie would choose Penny over her daughter, but what I can see myself doing is providing Sofia the childhood she deserves; a childhood she won't forget and a childhood that she would reminisce and tell her children about one day.

"There you are. I was wondering where you were." Arizona walks out into the hallway and stands in front of me, pressing her body against mine.

I wrap my arms around her waist and lean in to press a kiss onto her lips. "Sorry, I was just giving you two some space. But, I have pizza coming and the freezer is still stocked with nothing but tubs of ice cream, so you ladies are all set here."

She pulls back from my embrace and gives me a knowing look. "Okay? You ladies? So, where do you fit in our pizza and ice cream night tonight?"

I give her a sad smile and shrug my shoulders. "I just thought-"

"I want you here with us, Eliza. We both need you here." She leans in and places a kiss on the side of my neck. "Please stay? Stay the night, baby. " Her breath hitting my body, it quickly sends chills down my spine. All I can think about is ripping her clothes from her body and giving her a small preview of what our night would entail if I stayed the night. A light moan escaping from my mouth, she continues to press light kisses down my neck. "So, is that a yes?"

I nod my head and tame myself before allowing things to get heated outside closed doors. I push off the wall and cup one of my girlfriend's cheeks with my hand. "Of course I'll stay the night."

"Yay!" Sofia yells coming out of her room. "Eliza's staying!" She runs into my arms and when I pick her up, she wraps her legs around my waist. "I'm hungry."

"I hope you still want pizza and ice cream tonight," I say as we exchange eye contact.

A smile widens across her face, "always." As the smile quickly fades, she furrows her brows. "Eliza, you work tomorrow, huh?"

"I do, I'll be over as soon as I get off." Her head gaze and nods her head. "Hey," I place her down on her feet and lift her head with a finger under her chin. "I'm not going anywhere, Sof. You have nothing to worry about."

"Promise?"

"I promise." I raise my hand and drop all but two fingers. "Scouts honor." The smile that faded away minutes ago, slowly reappears on her face. "Why don't you and I cook dinner tomorrow night? Then, after dinner, I have a surprise for you and mommy. Sound good?" Arizona's eyebrows raise and I softly chuckle at her not wanting any more surprises at the moment. "It's going to be a fun surprise, mommy. Don't worry." I shoot a wink to her and notice she's exhaling the breath she was just holding.

"I love fun surprises!" Sofia says jumping up and down.

"Who doesn't?" I playfully nudge Arizona's shoulder. "Let's head downstairs. The pizza will be here soon."

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	22. Chapter 22

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

"What about softball, mommy?" Sofia's been focused on decorating the gingerbread house that's sitting on the table in front of her. We're currently discussing the different extracurricular activities that she might be interested in participating in.

Today's another cold day in Seattle and by the looks of it, it just might be snowing real soon. It's been a couple days since Callie showed up at my doorstep and Eliza has spent every minute she wasn't working, with Sofia and I. When she said she had a fun surprise for us, I didn't imagine it being what it was. That night after dinner, she brought out a few family board games and had Sof pick out which one we were going to play. It definitely brought out our inner competitiveness and started a midweek tradition that Sofia hopes to continue.

Now, I know Eliza will never replace Callie when it comes to being Sofia's mother. After all, Callie is Sofia's birth mom and the two will always share a special bond with each other. But, if Eliza wants to be present in Sof's life just as much as Sofia and I want her to be, who are we to stop her? It takes a village to raise a child and the more people that love and support her, the merrier. I'm not saying or implying that I'm not willing and able to raise Sofia alone, but a little help from someone who's capable of co-parenting my daughter with me, wouldn't be a bad thing.

"Mommy? Earth to mommy?" Sofia says putting the last of the candy on the rooftop.

"Huh?" I close my eyes and shake my head to clear my mind from everything. "I'm sorry, baby. What were you saying?"

"What are you getting Eliza for Christmas?" She lifts her head and her eyes widen.

"I'm sure that wasn't what you said," I laugh. "But, I haven't decided what I'm going to get her yet. I'm having a tough time."

"Well, I think she'll like anything you get her. She's cool like that."

"Hm. I don't know about that, Sof. I can think of someone else who's just as cool, if not cooler."

"Me?" She jumps up from her seat and points to herself with her thumbs.

"No, silly. I was talking about me." I say playfully. She drops her hands onto the top of the table and looks at me with a straight face. I can't help the laugh that leaves my mouth. "I'm kidding, Sof. You're the coolest person on this planet. Come here," I motion for her over to me. "I need a big, big hug from you."

She stands in front of me and throws her arms around my neck. "Softball," her arms drop. "I want to play softball, mommy."

"That's a good decision." I pick her up and sit her on my lap.

"It's okay with you though? If I play softball?" She looks at me with a bit of worry in her eyes.

"Sof, you can do whatever it is you want to do. If softball is what you want to do, then softball it is. I will be there cheering you on at every game and sitting on the bleachers at every practice."

"Eliza too?"

"I don't doubt she'll miss it either." I say honestly. "Speaking of Eliza, you want to have lunch with her? We'll pick up food on the way to the hospital and eat with her."

"Yeah!" She gets off of my lap and starts running around the house gathering her jacket and shoes.

I make my way into the kitchen where I have my phone plugged into the charger and my shoulders slump over when I find no new notifications from my girlfriend. She usually sends me a good morning text despite how busy she is at the hospital, but today, nothing. Deciding to send her a text, I search through my contacts list and tap on her name once I come across it.

 _ **A: Good morning, beautiful. I miss you.**_

My anxiety getting the best of me, I take a deep breath in and sigh it all out. Last night was a good night and this morning she kissed me before she left the bedroom, so it couldn't have been anything I did. I try to calm myself down and get my mind across the idea that she just might be busy or in the middle of a surgery. My phone vibrates in my hand to inform me of a text that I've just received. I take a glance down at the screen.

 _ **E: Morning.**_

Okay. Clearly something is obviously wrong. I can't think of any reason why Eliza would be giving me a cold shoulder right now. Throwing my previous speculations of her just being busy, out the door, I lean against the kitchen counter and try to think hard about what could be bothering Eliza that much for her to be acting this way towards me.

 _ **A: What's wrong? Are you okay?**_

 _ **E: I'm fine.**_

 _ **A: No, you're not. You're acting differently with me. Talk to me, Eliza.**_

 _ **E: Arizona, please. Not right now.**_

Fine. If she wants to be that way, I'll let her. She might be able to deny talking to me through text, but there's no way she'll turn me away face to face. "Sofia, you ready to go?" I call out for Sofia and she comes running into my view with her jacket over her shoulders and her shoes on her feet.

"I'm ready, mommy."

"What are we waiting for then? Let's hit the road." I hide my nerves behind my voice and head out the door. "I'm thinking maybe sandwiches for lunch?"

"Yum! I love- wait, you don't like sandwiches though." She hops into the car and I help her buckle up in the seat.

"Yeah, but I love my daughter who loves sandwiches." I tap my finger to the tip of her nose and watch as her face scrunches up.

* * *

 **A/N: alright, who's ready for a roller coaster ride?**

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	23. Chapter 23

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

I went about my routine this morning just like I always do. Everything is going perfectly well and I actually feel pretty good. Like, I'm on cloud nine and there isn't anyone or anything that can bring me and my mood down. Things are falling into place at home with Sofia and Arizona and I've been getting comfortable spending majority of my time there with them.

Walking into the hospital, I glance down at my watch fastened on my wrist and notice that I'm a couple minutes earlier than usual. _Coffee._ I make my way down the halls and through the lower level of the hospital without my pager going off or anyone approaching me for a consult, which rarely ever happens but could very possibly mean _it's a slow day at Grey Sloan Memorial_. I quickly spot Karev occupying one the chairs in the lobby and as I walk by him, I nudge his leg and he looks up at me from the tablet he has on his lap.

"Minnick, where you going? Work is this way." He says, pointing in the opposite direction from where I'm headed.

"Coffee, Karev. Want a cup? It's on me." I ask walking away from him.

"Free coffee? Hell yeah." He picks himself up from the chair and rushes by my side. "How are Robbins and Sofia doing?"

"They're doing well. Sofia is a pretty awesome kid."

We reach the end of the line at the coffee cart and Karev turns to face me. "I'm not going to lie, Minnick, and don't get used to this or ask me to repeat the words that are about to come out of my mouth, but you're pretty cool after all."

"Uh," I let out a small laugh. "Thanks, I guess?"

"Of course I didn't think so when you first arrived here. I mean, I'm usually one to not take sides and I mind my own business majority of the time, but you took Webber's job. _The_ Richard Webber. We couldn't blame Bailey, because she's Bailey and you were next in line of people to point the finger at. Then, word got around to everyone that you were sleeping with Robbins and well, I'll forever be in debt to her. So, I have to admit that before this conversation, I was being-"

"Fake?" I blurt out.

"Yeah."

"Because Arizona was your attending and raised you to be the surgeon you are today."

"Mhm and because-"

"She took your place on the plane that ended up crashing and resulted in one of her legs getting amputated."

His eyes shoot wide open and his jaw drops open. "Wow, you're crazy good at that."

"No, but Arizona tells me everything." We're now one more person away from reaching the front of the line and I'm now anticipating the cup of coffee I'm about to get. "Well, almost everything," I whisper to myself.

I've changed into my scrubs and walked out into the pit to see if they're in need of any consults. Nothing. I take a look around and the hospital is quiet. The quietest I've ever seen Grey Sloan Memorial. Everybody here can pretty much tell you the rule about the "S" word. Never ever say it. No matter how s- quiet it may be. Shhhh! Don't say it or you'll jinx it. _Slow._

"So, you haven't run away yet?" There it is again. The very familiar Italian accent. I turn my head towards the double door that Carina just walked through and she brushes past me wearing casual clothing.

"Damn, attitude much? And don't worry, I'm not running away to anywhere any time soon." I spit. I don't mean to stoop down to her level or add any flames to the fire, but I'm pretty much over being the nice guy. Especially to someone who's being a straight up bitch.

She stops a few feet away from me and turns her body so we're facing each other. "While you left to do whatever it was you had to do that was more important than you being here with Arizona, I came to Seattle and on my first night here, I bumped into her at Joe's bar. She was heartbroken, in pain, and drinking her night away. Joe even told me she spent most, if not all, of her nights drinking herself numb. Now, I started talking to her and it didn't even take long for her to open up to me. Both emotionally and well, you know." _I know? No. Okay, I do know. But, is it something I want to be thinking about now? Or ever, for that matter? Absolutely not._ I feel my blood beginning to come to a boil and my chest starts to rise and fall rapidly. I clench my jaw shut and it's taking everything in me to not throw this chick down to the floor. _Don't do it, Eliza. You'd be risking everything you've worked hard for, all for a jealous person. It's not worth it. Carina isn't worth it._ "I'm going to get her back, Eliza. If it's the last thing I do, she will be mine."

I clear my throat and shrug my tense shoulders. "You can try all you want, Carina, but she's mine and she loves me. You were just a short term rebound while she was working out a plan to get me to come back." I walk right up to her and the front of our bodies are almost a half an inch from touch each other. "On second thought, I wouldn't even try if I were you. You'd just be wasting all of your time." I squint my eyes and take a step back away from her. _You're better than her, Eliza. You. Are. Better. Don't play her games. Don't let her get to you. Why should you? Arizona is yours. Arizona wants you! You're the one Arizona loves. Walk away, Eliza._ I slowly turn around and head for the double door that leads to the outside of the hospital. I need to take a breath of fresh air. Taking all but four steps away from Carina, _black._

* * *

 **A/N: so what do you think? want another chapter update today?**

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	24. Chapter 24

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

I pulled into the staff parking lot outside the hospital and I've been sitting in my car for a good 15 minutes. It's been two hours since we left the house and to tell you the truth I've been stalling. Sofia fell asleep on the way here, so I'm using that as an excuse to not get out of the car and barge into the hospital to check what the hell is up with Eliza. I swear, if it's not one thing it's another. I'm done with surprises and I'm over people trying to get in the way of my happiness. If everyone can just mind their own business, that would be beyond great. I pull my phone out from my purse and when I see that I don't have any new text messages, I throw my head back against my seat and groan. _Okay, it's now or never._

"Sof, wake up. We're here." I climb out of the car and open up the door to let Sofia out.

She stirs in her seat and her eyes shoot open. "We're here?" Taking a look around her surroundings, she notices the big familiar building in front of her and jumps up to hurry out the car. "Yay! We're going to see Eliza."

I grab the bag of food out from the trunk and take Sofia by the hand as we walk together towards the entrance of the hospital. We go through the lobby of the lower level and it's not as busy as it usually is. Yeah, it's a slower and quieter day at Grey Sloan Memorial so Eliza shouldn't have any excuse to not want to talk to me or be short with me through text messages. I spot Amelia sitting behind the counter of the reception area and stop by to check if she's seen Eliza around. She seems a bit preoccupied tapping away at the tablet she has propped up in front of her. "Hey, Amelia." I say, hoping to grab her attention. She looks up from the tablet and her eyes grow wider. "Have you seen-"

"Robbins. Hey, what are you doing here? Who called you?" She seems a bit antsy and surprised to see me standing in front of her on the other side of the counter.

"Uh, no one called me." I'm a little hesitant and suspicious of her behavior, but I decide not to let that distract me from asking if she's seen my girlfriend today. "Sofia and I just wanted to surprise Eliza some food for lunch today. Have you seen her?"

"Arizona," she furrows her brows and the color on her face washes away like she's just seen a ghost. Standing on her feet, she rounds the counter and we're not facing one another.

"What? Is she in the middle of performing a surgery? We can come back later. Or did she vent to you about not wanting to talk to me or be around me?"

"I -" Her hands begin fumbling with each other and she drops her gaze to look at them.

"You know what? Forget it. I'll look for her myself." I throw my hands up and turn to head down the hall to the Emergency Room.

"Robbins!" A familiar male voice sounds throughout the lower level and I take a glance around only to spot Karev walking towards me.

"Alex. Hey, have you seen-"

He comes to stand between Sofia and I and reached out his hand for Sofia to high five. "We're looking for Eliza, Uncle Alex. We brought food." She points to the full bag in my hand.

"Wow. Lucky thing I know exactly where she is. I'm sure she's going to love having you here, Sof." He says to Sofia. He turns to me and uses his head as a signal for us to talk privately a couple feet away.

I drop the bag of food at Sofia's feet and Amelia comes to stand with her to keep her company as Karev and I distance ourselves away from them. We stand facing each other and he takes a deep breath. "Look, she'd kill me if she found out I told you, but -"

"Who would? Eliza? Why? Is she okay?"

"Arizona, slow down. She doesn't need you to get all worked up when-"

I look passed Karev at one of the monitors on the wall that has all the patients' last names and their room numbers next to it. Noticing a very familiar one displayed on the screen, my mouth drops open and I slowly move closer to the wall that holds the monitors. "Alex, Minnick isn't a very common last name." I sigh and run my fingers through my hair.

"She didn't want anyone to call you." He says, standing behind me. "It was Carina, Arizona. They exchanged words in the pit and Eliza turned to walk away. I guess Carina didn't like what Minnick had to say so she took a tablet from a table at the foot of a nearby bed and knocked her out."

A tear slides down my face as he finishes telling me the events that took place today. "How long ago did this happen?"

"It happened as soon as Eliza started her shift so probably a little over two hours ago."

"Take me to see her, Alex."

"She's in pain, Robbins. We gave her pain medication for her constant headaches and she's been in and out of sleep. Amelia's been monitoring her for any major swelling, but for now it's all minor."

"I NEED-" I turn around to face Karev and realize how loud I've just yelled. "I'm sorry," I say, calmly with my voice a lot lower. "Please, I need to see her."

He nods his head and looks at Sofia. "Just you for now, though."

Sofia stayed in the lobby with Amelia as Karev and I walk side by side together to the infamous elevator. We stand in a comfortable silence waiting for the next available carriage to pick us up.

"I saw you texted Eliza, but she was too much in pain and fairly drugged up to answer." We hop into the carriage and Karev presses the button to the floor that Eliza's on.

"Okay? Well she did end up texting me back."

He lets out a slight chuckle, "Nope. She gave me permission to text you back so you wouldn't be suspicious of her not replying to your messages." Karev scrunches his face and I run my fingers through my hair. "Sorry, but I just didn't feel right pretending to be her while calling you beautiful."

We both laugh together and I lean into him, playfully nudging his shoulder with my arm. The _ding_ of the elevator fills the air around us, letting us know that we've arrived at the desired floor. Seeing the room number next to Eliza's last name that was displayed on the monitor down in the lobby, I know exactly where Eliza is. But, I've asked Karev to take me to her as an excuse to have him there with me for support. Since I started working at the hospital, I've considered Alex a friend. Now, he's more of a brother to me.

Rounding the corner of the hallway, we reach the outside Eliza's room. I peek through the glass window and see her lying on the hospital bed, sleeping. Her head is wrapped all around with white bandage and she's hooked up to all the IV and blood pressure machines. A tear slides down from both my eyes and I lift my hand to wipe them once it reaches my jawline.

"You ready?" I tear my head away from the window and look at Karev while nodding my head. "It looks worse than it really is. I'll be right here if you need anything, okay?"

I push the door open and take a step inside the room.

* * *

 *** happy new year, everyone! ***

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	25. Chapter 25

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

I've never been the type of person to get jealous. Especially when it comes to someone trying to make me jealous about the person I'm dating. I don't get jealous. No, scratch that. I don't get jealous easily. I think it's pretty safe to say, I haven't been so deeply in love with someone as much as I am with Arizona. Now, I don't have a problem putting a crazy, jealous person in their place when it comes to protecting the person I love and our relationship, but when that person puts a tablet to my head as I'm walking away, it becomes a whole different story.

Luckily, there weren't a whole lot of people in the pit at the time this all happened. There were an odd number of empty beds and about three nurses, along with Owen Hunt and April Kepner. Thankfully, they were all busy doing their own things and Carina and I kept our words loud enough for just the two of us to hear. I am completely grateful for how quickly everyone reacted though. And to my understanding, no one was expecting that from Carina at all. The last thing I recall is turning my back towards Carina and heading to the ambulance bay to get a quick breath of fresh air. After that, I remember trying to open my eyes slowly and the lights on the ceiling of the hospital quickly going by one by one. I immediately close my eyes as the bright lights and fast movements are enough to make me dizzy. I'm lying on top of a gurney with Amelia Shepherd pushing it, Karev walking beside me, and about two interns tagging along with them.

"We'll do a head CT on her to check for any swelling and go from there." Amelia says to the interns.

"I'll go with you." _No, you honestly don't have to, Karev. I'm fine. I really am._ "Just incase you need an extra set of hands." He seems hesitant. I'm sure Amelia is giving him a funny look. "Dude, that must have been a hard ass hit."

"Yeah, you think?" Amelia says with a bit of sarcasm behind her voice. "The damn tablet is in pieces. I heard Carina was into Robbins, but I didn't realize it was that much. Speaking of, we should probably call-"

"Yeah, I was going to call her as soon as we got Minnick settled into a room."

 _No. Don't call, Arizona. She's dealing with a lot right now and the last thing she needs is another thing to add onto her plate. Once they do the head CT they'll see that there's nothing wrong and they'll release me before anyone has the chance to get Arizona on the phone_. "No." I spit out before I'm able to catch myself. I open an eye and see them both looking down at me with a questioning looks on their faces. "No one is telling Arizona about this."

Karev looks at me and raises an eyebrow. "She's going to flip out if word eventually gets around to her and she wasn't notified as soon as it happened. You were hit on the head, I'm sure that's effecting your ability to think straight."

"No, she's not going to flip out because she's not going to know." I slightly shake my head and regret it right after.

"Minnick," we reach the inside of the CT room. Amelia stops the gurney and looks at me with a sad smile. "Are you sure that's what you want to do?"

"Yeah," I let out a long sigh. "Plus, you aren't going to see any red flags in the scan, so I'm sure I'll be back on my feet right after we're done.." _Oh, no. Eliza, don't do this right now._ I lift my hand and place my palm flat against my mouth to try and lessen the chances of anything shooting out.

"Karev, barf pan!" He grabs the kidney shaped pan and rushes to my side holding it out in front of me as I vomit. I think I've ejected everything inside my body. I feel like I have, rather. "Eliza," Amelia says, after I seem to have a hold on myself. "You're aren't going to be going anywhere any time soon. We'll get you on something for the nausea and pain. Hopefully, it'll allow you to rest."

* * *

I feel the bed dipping beside me and the familiar smell of her perfume fills the air of the room immediately. _What is she doing here? Who called her? Damn, I feel like I've been asleep for days._ I'm scared to open my eyes and feel the sensation of nausea hitting me again, so I've decided to keep them remaining closed. "Oh, baby." I hear her say under her breath as one of her hands finds one of mine. She brings my hand up to her lips and places a kiss on my knuckles.

"How'd you find out?" My voice is a bit hoarse and raspy. "How many days has it been?"

"Babe," _great, I think I've just worried her more._ "It's only been a couple hours since it happened. Sofia and I thought it would be a good idea to have lunch with you at work so we brought food for you not knowing this was all happening." Her voice begins to break. "I was wondering why you didn't text me this morning like you usually do."

"I'm so sorry, Arizona." I feel like I've let he down. I feel like I've let Sofia down. _Oh, damn. Sofia._ What is Sofia going to think? A tear slips down my face and I turn my head away from her and try to hide the falling tears from falling. Good thing my eyes are still closed so she wasn't able to catch a glimpse of my watery eyes.

She places her hand on my cheek and wipes away the pool of tears gathered at my jawline with her thumb. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Eliza. I just wish there was something I could've done that stopped her from doing that to you."

I turn my head to face her and slowly blink my eyes open, careful of any nausea that might follow. Tears still rolling down my cheeks, she furrows her brows. "I'm okay. I feel fine." I try to assure her. I take her hand from my cheek and bring it down to my lap, lacing my fingers with hers. Looking down at our hands, I take a deep breath. "This doesn't stop me from loving you and it doesn't make me love you any less. I know what I have with you, Arizona. I won't ever take it for granted. If the roles were reversed and she was the one that ended up with you instead of me, I'd be just as jealous as she is."

A slight snicker escapes from her mouth. "Stop," she playfully smacks the slide of my thigh.

"I mean, I wouldn't be crazy enough to hit someone on the head with anything.. but, it's understandable why she would be jealous. You're the closest thing there is to perfection and I'm very lucky to have you in my life."

"You're the only one I want to share my life with, Eliza." I fist my hand in the front of her jacket and pull her body into mine. Placing a kiss on her lips, she pulls back and smiles against mine. "I love you so much."

The sound of heavy footsteps walking into the room doesn't stop us from distract us from each other. "Save it for the bedroom, ladies." Karev says, not a bit entertained from our show of PDA. We laugh and turn our heads towards his direction. "Good news though. Minnick, you're cleared to go."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."

"Want me to call you a cab to your hotel or something?" He asks jokingly.

Opening my mouth to answer, Arizona beats me to it. "No. That won't be necessary."

He throws up his hands, "I knew the answer, just thought I'd ask. You're not expected back to work until a week from now. So, we'll see you back after Christmas. Chief's orders. " Arizona mouths the words _'thank you'_ to him and he nods his head. "Amelia will be here shortly to discharge you."

He leaves the room and I turn to look at Arizona. "Hey, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself in my hotel room."

"But why should you have to when Sofia and I are even more capable and very more than willing to do that for you at home."

We stare at each other in a comfortable silence. I'm sure she's just as shocked to have said what she just did as I am to have heard it come from her mouth. "Home?" _Sure, my home involves anywhere Arizona is, but to share a home with her and her daughter? Amazing. Heartwarming. Unimaginable._

A gin appears on her face. "Yeah, baby. I'm taking you home."

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	26. Chapter 26

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

Eliza's been home for a day since that whole thing with Carina happened. To be honest, I've been so caught up in taking care of Eliza and Sofia that asking about Carina hasn't once crossed my mind. When Eliza was wheeled to the first floor of the hospital where Sofia was waiting, I've never seen Sofia's mood go from extremely excited to see Eliza to very worried and concerned about why she's the one sitting on the wheelchair instead of pushing it. We've decided to go along with telling Sofia that an accident happened at work rather than telling her the whole story and why Eliza has a bandage around her head.

Sof has been the best helper I could ever ask for when it comes to helping me cater to Eliza. I've got this game going right now between my daughter and I with the object of the game being who could be the better doctor. Hands down, she's definitely going to win. It's so cute watching them interact with each other. During the day, I try to give Eliza all the space and peacefulness there is to get all the rest and relaxation she needs for a speedy recovery. But, from time to time I'll pop my head through the door and see Sofia laying beside Eliza while she's reading a chapter from her book to her or the other time I saw them taking a nap together with Sof's head resting on Eliza's chest with their arms wrapped around each other's bodies. _Absolutely picture perfect_.

I'm standing in the kitchen hovering over the stove cooking soup for lunch. Sofia should be running in here any time soon to fill up Eliza's cup with water. The sound of little feet descending the stairs causes me to chuckle to myself. _Right on time._ "Hey, bug." I say, while she holds a cup to the water dispenser on the fridge. "What are you up to?"

"Eliza needs water." She's focused on making sure the water doesn't overflow over the cup. "Mommy, do you think Eliza's going to feel better soon?"

"Yeah, I think so. You've been doing such a great job taking care of her so I don't see why she shouldn't be."

"Okay, because Christmas is in three days and I just want her to feel better so she's not sick on Christmas."

Pulling the cup away from the water dispenser, she looks up at me and I can tell she's genuinely concerned about Eliza. "Well, I think she's going to feel a whole lot better by the time Christmas comes. That reminds me," I take a knee in front of her and take the glass from her hand, putting it on top of the kitchen counter beside us. "You haven't done your Christmas list for Santa yet. You better get on that before it's too late and it doesn't reach him on time."

"I only want one thing and what I want doesn't involve Santa. I would need your help with it though. If it's okay with you?"

"It depends. What is it that you want, Sofia Robbin?" I turn my head slightly and raise an eyebrow at her. I'm a little suspicious. A little would be an understatement.

"I know I'm still a little girl and I'm too young to make my own decisions, but I'm very sure about this, mommy. You weren't there in New York, so you never saw how much they brushed me off and how it made me feel. I know what I want and this is something I really, really want so please just think about it before you say anything."

Everything about Sofia right now is telling me how much this means to her. The way she's standing, the look on her face with the tears building in her eyes, and the honesty behind her voice. "Baby girl, what is it?"

"This has been perfect. This is what having a family should feel like and having it now, I can see everything I've missed out on. Like cooking breakfast in the morning, family game night on Tuesdays, ending our nights watching movies, and lying around together. She glances down at her hands as she nervously starts rubbing them together. I cup her hands with mine and bring them up to my lips placing soft kiss between them. "I want this all the time with the three of us. You know, just me and my mommies?" My head quickly shoots up and our eyes connect with each other's. "I know mama will always be my mama and nothing can change that no matter what happens or how I feel, but that doesn't mean you and Eliza can't be my mommies right?"

My emotions instantly take over and I have to swallow hard to make the lump in my throat disappear. "You're very right." I say, clearing my throat.

"I just want a way to ask her if she wants to be my other mommy with you. Can you help me?"

"Of course I'll help you, Sof. We'll make it very special for you and for Eliza." A smile creeps up on her face. "Come here," I motion her to come closer for a tight hug.

I know things between Sofia and Callie aren't completely settled, but she's right. She is too young to be making her own decisions for herself and I wasn't there in New York, but having been married to Callie for several years, I've come to know her better that she probably knows her own self. Callie never takes fault in anything. She will hide any and all evidence that points in her direction and she has no problem sitting back to watch you beat yourself up for something that you both share fault in. I don't mean to diss her in any way, but my point is this would make it the first time I've actually seen her feel guilty about something and take fault. She knows what she did and she knows she did wrong. Callie had no problem hearing people trash talk me in court during the custody battle. I went home and internally beat myself up about it. Then, I sent Sofia off to live with her even after how she made me feel about what was said about me in court. I made myself be okay with it, for Callie's sake.

Well, I can see in Sofia's eyes how happy she is having Eliza in her life. She may be young, but there isn't a doubt in my mind that this is something she truly wants. I've got three days to make this happen and I can already feel this is going to be one amazing Christmas.

* * *

 **A/N: sorry for the delay in the chapter update today. i was ahead writing some chapters and ended up deleting everything to take the story in another direction. so, buckle up everyone! you're in for a ride :)**

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	27. Chapter 27

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

It's the morning before Christmas Eve and I'm feeling a whole lot better than I was three days ago, that's for sure. I've got Christmas presents in mind for Sofia and Arizona, but I haven't had the chance to run away to the store. So today, I'm hoping to find an excuse to get out of the house alone. Sofia and Arizona have been an unbelievable godsend helping me recover at such a fast pace. Being able to spend uninterrupted time with them and getting the chance to know them more and more every day has been nothing short of amazing. I'm already getting used to being around them so much and watching Arizona in mommy mode has been making me picture and imagine what it would be like if we shared a kid together. I don't want it to seem like I'm trying to rush into things and move our relationship along quicker than it's already going, but it's not a bad thing to just wonder what it'd be like, right?

Since I've come home from the hospital, Arizona has been keeping her distance from me in bed at night. I get that she's looking out for me and doing what she can to prevent me from any more physical pain, but I've been honest when answering her ' _how are you feeling'_ questions every five minutes. I know for a fact she won't take things any further than cuddling, but she still hasn't allowed me to wrap my arms around her yet. Taking matters into my own hands, I've decided to brush Arizona off as much as possible. _Childish, I know._ We'll see how long it lasts.

Wiggling my way to my bedside, I sit up and close my eyes to take a deep breath. I instantly feel movement behind me and a hand placed on the small of my back. "Don't leave yet, Eliza." Her voice sleepily drags.

"Why not? I'm awake. It's not like I have any other reason to stay in bed." I scoff.

Her eyes widen and she props herself up on her elbows. "I just want you to rest up so you can feel better."

"Arizona, I've been telling you that I feel a lot better. I'm fine."

"I'm sorry. I just.. I feel like I'm the one to blame for you getting hurt, Eliza." I turn back to look at her and she he has the saddest expression on her face right now. _Yeah, the whole brushing my girlfriend off didn't last very long at all._ "I haven't been able to get myself to admit it to you, but I feel like I've caused this to you."

She sits up on the bed and rests her back against the headboard. I move back in the bed and sit facing her, taking one of her hands with mine. "Arizona, you can't blame yourself for what happened between me and Carina. I can deal with a jealous ex-girlfriend, that's not a problem. But, please tell me you have no intentions of taking her back." Carina's words now replaying in my mind, I can't help but to be a little insecure right now. Arizona and I haven't had much time to ourselves with Sofia around, but now I can see why she would distance herself away from me. We're both feeling a little insecure and right now the best thing that could help the situation would be to talk it out right here, right now.

"Eliza, what was said? Tell me what happened that morning?"

"She just walked into the ER and I happened to be standing in her walking path so she brushed her body against mine and gave me complete attitude." I'm kind of beating around the bush right now.

"Okaaaay.. So, that's when she took the tablet and hit you in the head with it?" I sit there and stare at her with no words coming out of my mouth. "Eliza, why would you even ask if I'd have any intention of taking her back when you know you're the only one I want?"

"I left you, Arizona, and she was the one that you turned to. She knows the mistake I've made and she was just trying to use it against me so I would run away. She mentioned how it didn't take you long to open up to her emotionally and-," I roll my eyes and turn my head to look away from her. "Sexually." I say, clearing my throat. Like I've said before, I didn't expect Arizona to wait around for me forever. She's gorgeous, so of course she's going to have women throwing themselves at her. But right now I'm feeling my heart pump out jealous juice through all my veins and let me tell you, it's quickly spreading throughout my body.

"Baby," she says climbing on top of me to straddle my legs. "No one does me like you do." She starts kissing my neck and feeling her breath against my skin causes my whole head to spin. "You're going to be the last person who sees me this way. That's a promise." The honesty behind the lowered tone in her voice brings a fresh pool of juice building at my core. A moan slips out of my mouth as her hands slip down to the hem of my tshirt and her fingertips lightly graze the top of my stomach. Crashing my lips against hers, I reach my arms around to her ass and grasp one cheek with each of my hands. I pull her body up against mine and she pulls her head back. "I only want you, Eliza. Let me show you just how bad I want you."

"Show me, Arizona." I moan out.

* * *

 *** the site was down yesterday, which made uploading this chapter impossible * enjoy :)**

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	28. Chapter 28

*** Thank you all so much for your encouraging words. This past week has sure been a struggle to get through, but thankfully my support system pulled through. I'm truly blessed with the best. Again, thank you all. ***

* * *

 **SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

* * *

We've been at it for a whole two hours and Eliza and I are lying down in each other's arms. I lightly graze my fingertips up and down her arm and Eliza snuggles her body further into mine. I swear, I can stay like this with her forever. "I have to start getting ready," she says with a sigh while she shuffles her way towards the edge of the bed. "I should probably go back to my hotel room today."

"What?" I furrow my brows and watch her as she gets further away from me. I don't understand. We were starting off our morning pretty good. Or at least I thought we were. "Why all of a sudden?"

"I haven't been there in forever. Plus, It's almost Christmas. I figured you wanted some time alone with Sofia."

"Eliza, I wouldn't want you anywhere else but with us. Please, just stay with us? At least until after Christmas."

"Are you sure?" She asks, slipping her legs through a pair of sweatpants.

"Absolutely." I say reassuringly.

"Okay, well can I go back to my hotel room to pick up more of my clothes?"

She turns her back towards me and begins to walk to the restroom. I don't know why, but she seems a bit nervous. Everything about her body language is giving it away. If she wants to get away from us for a bit, then fine. No one is going to stop her. "Sure." It's all I can get out right now.

My heart feels heavy. Maybe we did rush into things too quickly. Oh no. Is she getting tired of being around us? Did Carina say something else to her that she's not telling me about? I can't help but to lay with my back against the mattress and stare up at the ceiling, thinking of all these possibilities as to why Eliza would want some time away from us. Shaking my head, I try to shake off all the negative thoughts in my head and try to convince myself that maybe she really just needs to pick up more of her clothes. She says she's coming back to stay with us until after Christmas, so at least I have until then to look forward to. I'll face the obstacles as they come. Well, when she leaves it'll give Sof and I time to plan Sofia's gift to Eliza and hopefully give me time to make a quick run to the store.

* * *

It's been thirty minutes since Eliza left the house and now Sofia and I are cleaning up our mess from breakfast. "Mommy?" A sweet voice calls for me.

"Yes, baby girl?" I look to my side as I'm washing the dishes and find my daughter staring back at me with curious eyes.

"What are you going to get Eliza for Christmas? You can tell me. I promise I won't tell her."

"Pinky promise?" I hold out my pinky.

She takes my pinky with hers and nods her head. "Pinky promise, mommy."

"Alright, hop up on one of the stools so we can talk about it." She rounds the counter and climbs on a barstool, resting her arms on the counter in front of the sink. "I wanted to talk to you about it before I go along with it, but I think it would go perfect with your gift to Eliza. How would you feel if I asked Eliza to move in with us?"

"Mommy," she says with a straight face. "It's about time you ask her."

I let out a laugh from her unexpected answer and I splash her with the water on my hands. "Silly, girl. Go shower so we can get this show on the road." As she climbs own from the barstool, she flashes me a heartwarming smile. Sofia and I have a lot to do for Eliza this Christmas. Since it's the day before Christmas Eve and my parents coming to spend Christmas day with us, I figured Sof and I will present Eliza with her presents tomorrow while it'll be just the three of us.

Shutting off the running water, I dry my hands and pull my phone out from my back pocket. I scroll through the contacts on my phone and hit a very familiar name. Waiting for the call to connect, I make my way to my purse and pull out a folder with packets of papers. "Hello?"

"Hey, Callie." I let out with a sigh. My heart still hurts for the position she was in when Sofia was in New York with her. "I'm just calling to make sure you're still okay with all of this."

She clears her throat and I hear her taking a deep breath. "You know, if I hadn't met Eliza, I would be totally against it. She's a great person, Arizona, and I can already tell she's going to be a great addition to your family."

"Thank you so much for understanding."

"It's what Sof wants, right?" Her voice breaks.

"It is."

"Well, she deserves to be loved unconditionally. Just- thank you for including me in the decision making."

"It wouldn't have felt right if you weren't, Callie. Just please remember.."

"I'm always going to be her mother." She finishes my sentence before I have the chance to.

"It's true. Sof even said so herself."

"I know. Thank you, Arizona. Let me know how it all goes?"

"Of course I will. I'll be sure to take a video and send you. I'll talk to you later." A slight tug on sleeve of my shirt makes me spin around to the tiny human stood beside me.

She pulls on my arm holding the phone and says into the phone, "thank you, mama."

* * *

 **days after my uncle had committed suicide, there was another death in the family. these times have been hard, but i'm very thankful for all your kind and supportive words. they truly mean the world to me. we have one more funeral to prepare for, so hang in there with me.**

 **thank you all :)**

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	29. Chapter 29

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

I've made up my mind and I'm proposing to Arizona. I am going to ask Arizona to marry me.

 _Woah._ Of course I'm nervous. What if she says no? What if she thinks I'm moving too fast and turns down my proposal? What if she isn't on the same page as me? Arizona was married, once upon a time, so what if she isn't ready to go down that road again? Will she ever be ready?

I'm walking the streets of downtown Seattle, making my way to the local mall and my head is filling with all these negative thoughts. I'm sure I'm just letting my anxiety get the best of me. With Arizona's parents arriving in town on Christmas day, I plan on pulling her parents aside and asking for their daughter's hand in marriage. _Maybe that's what it is._ I have yet to meet her parents. I haven't even met Arizona's parents and I'm going to ask them to trust me with caring and providing for their daughter and granddaughter. _Come on, Eliza. You know you're capable of caring for them. Quit doubting yourself._ I walk through the entrance of the mall and turn the corner towards the jewelry store that holds Christmas gifts for both my girls.

"It's about time you showed up, Minnick." A familiar voice says.

"I know, I'm sorry. I got a little caught up." Walking up to him, I give him a knowing look and wrap my arms around his shoulders. "Thanks for meeting me on such short notice." I pull back from him and we walk beside each other into Tiffany's Co. "It means a lot that you're here, Alex. I couldn't think of any other person that would be perfect for helping me pick out a ring."

"It's an honor. This usually isn't my kind of thing," he says looking around the store. "But, I think it's pretty safe to say there isn't anything I wouldn't do for her. She's like a sister to me."

"Well, I'm really glad she has you. Let's get started before she starts getting suspicious that I'm taking too long picking up some clothes."

I take a long, hard stare at the case of rings in front of us and I honestly can't believe I'm doing this. I can feel my heart rate picking up speed as I'm standing here picturing my future with Arizona by my side. It amazes me how one stranger can become your whole world and how the same person can be the sole reason of your happiness. I'm one lucky girl that's privileged with the opportunity to ask Arizona to marry me and blessed beyond words to have Sofia along for the journey.

"Hello, folks." A well-dressed gentleman on the other side of the glass case comes to stand in front of Karev and I. "My name is Hayes. Is there anything I can help you with today?"

"Nice to meet you Hayes. I'm Eliza," I reach out my hand and he takes it, giving it a firm shake. "And this is Alex. I'm looking for a ring to propose to my girlfriend with. I don't have a budget, but it needs to be the right one."

"I will certainly do my best to make sure you leave with the perfect ring for her, Eliza. "

"Also," I quickly add. "I was hoping to get three of the same necklace. One being for my girlfriend's daughter."

"Of course. When we're finished here I'll show you over to our selection of necklaces." He ducks his head to unlock the case we're standing in front of.

From the corner of my eye, I find Karev beside me looking at me with one of the biggest smile I've ever seen on his face. I let out a quiet chuckle. "What, Alex?"

"Oh, nothing. I just think what you're getting for Arizona and Sofia are-," he pauses and I can hear him take a big gulp. He clears his throat and continues, "they're going to love it, Eliza." I turn to face him and I can genuinely see the sincerity behind his words. A grin widens across my mouth and I take his hand that he has placed on top of the glass case, in mine. "Those two mean a lot to me and they deserve nothing less than the world. There isn't a doubt in my mind that you are the person that will give them the world they deserve."

My eyes fill with tears and I can't help the cheesy smile I have displayed on my face right now. I nod my head, speechless at every word he's saying to me right now. "So, you don't think I'm out of my mind doing this?"

"Oh, I definitely think you're out of your mind." A laugh slips from his mouth and I drop my gaze as my smile rapidly disappears. "Hey," I lift my head and my eyes meet his. "I'd be more concerned if you weren't out of your mind and taking huge risks to move forward in your relationship with Arizona and Sofia. They need that in their life and it's about time they get it. As far as her parents, trust me, they would have been on the next flight out once they heard you were back in Seattle. But they weren't because they know they have nothing to worry about."

I take a deep breath and exhale. "I can't thank you enough for doing this with me." He smiles and nods his head.

"This ring is from our newest collection." We turn our attention to Hayes and find him holding up the most elegant, diamond ring I have ever laid eyes on. "What do you think?"

"Oh my god." I say under my breath. "It's perfect."

"I couldn't agree more." Alex says with his eyes widening.

* * *

I'm walking back to my hotel room to pick up a bag of clothes so Arizona doesn't suspect anything. It's on my way back to Arizona's house anyways and I'd only be going in to grab the bag that's already holding most of the clothes I have. I pull my phone out from my back pocket and notice I have an unread message and a missed call from my girlfriend.

 **Hey, beautiful. Just making sure you're okay.**

I press the call button and hold the phone to my ear, waiting for the phone to connect. "Hello?" Hearing my girlfriend's voice is enough to make me smile and I then realize how much I miss her.

"Hey, babe. Sorry I missed your call. I didn't realize my phone was set on silent."

"It's okay. I haven't heard from you, so I just wanted to make sure you were okay." I can hear the worry behind her voice and it breaks my heart that I made her worry for the few hours I've been away.

"I'm so sorry. I am okay though. Are you okay? How's Sofia?"

"We're both good, just waiting for you to come back."

"Give me 15 minutes and I'll be there."

"Promise?"

"I promise. I love you, Arizona."

* * *

 **with everything going on in my life right now, all the fluff just makes sense.**

 **but, have no fear. drama is near..**

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	30. Chapter 30

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

It is the early morning of Christmas Eve and after Eliza left to her hotel room yesterday, Sofia and I had the chance to make a quick run to the hardware store to have a key made for Eliza. Afterwards, we've prepped and finalized everything we needed to for Sofia's present, which made her more anxious than ever. As I was going through the paperwork and signing off where my signature was needed, Sofia was sitting next to me and from the corner of my eye, I'd glance her way and watch the smile on her face slowly fade away. I remember asking her if she was beginning to have second thoughts about it, but she shook her head. I told her that there was no need to feel rushed and that we could and would proceed whenever she felt she was ready, but I could tell in her eyes that that wasn't the case. _"Mommy, what if Eliza doesn't want me?"_ I'd like to think there isn't anyone else in the world that loves my daughter more that I do.

Being in a military family, was never easy. Bouncing around from house to house, states to countries, there was really never a time nor place I considered home. As I got older, I've championed making friends and learned to not get too close to anyone because of the mere fact of one day having to part ways with them. Saying goodbye to someone didn't get any easier, but having the chance to meet a ton of people along my childhood and throughout my adult life, made weaving out people I knew wouldn't fit in my life, effortless. I wouldn't have accepted Eliza back into my life if I didn't think it was worth keeping her in it and I definitely wouldn't be allowing her to come into my home time after time if I didn't trust her being there.

I've tossed and turned all night in bed because I can't get Sofia's question out of my head. I can't get over how heartbroken she looked when the realization hit her that there could be a possibility of Eliza not wanting to be a part of raising her. I know where Eliza stands as far as being in Sofia's life because she's told me, but what's making me restless is wondering if my spiel about Eliza and how big I know her heart is, was good enough. Last night, Sofia came to our bed fell asleep in between Eliza and I in the middle of the story we were reading to her. As I was scooping her into my arms to take Sofia to her bedroom, Eliza put her and on my arm and shook her head and said, " _just leave her here. I want to cuddle her."_

I'm lying in bed on the side of my body and I'm facing the most precious sight. Sofia's head is resting on Eliza's chest while her arm is wrapped around Sofia's body. I don't doubt for one second that Eliza doesn't want to be in Sofia's life and I wouldn't at all assume that she'd decline Sofia's proposal. With sunlight now threatening to break through my bedroom window and bearing with the realization that my body has no desire to gain any sleep, I decide that going downstairs and getting a head start wrapping Sofia's presents with a cup of coffee will help ease my mind. I wiggle my to my bedside and stand to get my legs through my pants. Making my way to my bedroom door, I grab hold of the doorknob and glance behind my shoulder towards the bed. Seeing that they've made absolutely no movement since I left the bed, I walk out the room and make sure to close the bedroom door behind me. _I definitely need caffeine right now._

An hour has passed and I'm now pouring my third cup of coffee and taking a break from wrapping Sofia's presents when I hear footsteps walking down the stairs. "Good morning, beautiful." My girlfriend says as she approaches me.

"Good mor-," I notice she's showered, dressed, and ready for the day but I had no idea she had any plans to go anywhere. "Good morning." I finish with a small smile. "Where you headed to?"

"You didn't hear my pager going off?" She asks, pouring herself a cup of coffee to go. "Don't worry, Sofia was still sound asleep. She sure is a heavy sleeper."

"Eliza, today is Christmas Eve." I say with my brows furrowed. She walks up to me and presses a kiss on my temple. "Ugh. I'm sorry. I know you have to go just.. Hurry home, please?"

"Of course, babe. I'm hoping it won't take long at all. Then, I can come back and spend the rest of the day with my favorite girls. But hey, today is the last day I'll be on call until after the holidays." She puts her shoes on and heads towards the front door with me following right behind her.

"That's good." Eliza walks out of the house, but before she gets out of reach, I grab her hand and spin her around to face me. The cutest unexpected laugh escapes from her mouth and she cups my cheek with her free hand.

"I love you, Arizona. Don't ever forget that." She leans in and places a soft, loving kiss on my lips and I wrap my arms around her neck to keep her from pulling back just yet.

"I love you too, baby." I say, pulling away. The ringtone to her phone begins filling the air around us. "Go and hurry back to me."

She throws me a wink before I turn around and close the door. I hear her ringtone coming to an end and Eliza's voice conversing with someone I'm assuming is on the other end of the phone call. "I know, I know. I'll be there soon. Hey, make sure Arizona doesn't end up finding out about this. Yes, I'm sure. She'll be beyond upset if she knew what I did. Thanks. I'll see you soon."

* * *

 *** this fic is surviving on reviews * let me know what you all think :) anything is motivation at this point.**

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	31. Chapter 31

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

I'm making my way to the hospital right now, but this time is a little different than any other time I've been paged to come in. This time I'm more tense, nervous, and anxious for what's about to come. I'm practically jogging and finding myself out of breath trying to hurry over there. Catching the first sign of the hospital nearing, I can feel my heart stop and drop into the pit of my stomach. It's not like there was something I could've done to prepare for this. Of course I knew this day was going to come, but to be face to face with it is a whole different story and a whole different feeling I've never felt before. I'm usually one to come off as confident and don't get me wrong, because I am. But, not this time.

Reaching the entrance into the hospital, I stop just short of the door. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. _Alright, Eliza. The key to your future is on the other side of the walls._ Reaching for the door handle, I push the door open and my name is instantly called.

"Eliza!" Karev says, almost at a half jog to meet me.

I give him a slight grin and our eyes meet each other. "Thanks again for doing this for me. How did things seem when they arrived?" We begin walking towards the hallway where the conference rooms are located.

"They're good. They're actually excited to be here. Eliza," he faces me and places both hands on my shoulders. "Take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay. They want to be here, just remember that. Remember what they said on the phone yesterday when we called them."

I close my eyes and try to keep myself from being any more nauseous. "Yes, they were more than thrilled to rearrange their traveling itineraries and meet with me before going to see Arizona and Sofia." My eyes shoot open and my brows furrow. "Alex, I can't wait. I need to ask her. I want her to be my wife. I just couldn't proceed without asking her parents for their blessing."

"Well, lucky thing they're here and behind the door." He nods his head towards the door beside us and my nerves increase my ten times. "Standing here and trying to convince yourself to walk through the doors is just keeping them waiting and to be honest, I would be already losing my patience. Go in there, be yourself, and I promise by doing that, you'll win them over in a heartbeat. Just like you did with Arizona and Sofia. You know what they need and you know you are the right person to provide that for them. I can tell you this, Minnick. You don't need to try hard at all."

My eyes begin to water at his admission. Clearing my throat, I nod my head and give him a sad smile. "I can't begin to thank you enough, Alex."

"You can thank me by marrying Arizona. So I can stop worrying about her." He lets out a light chuckle and drops his hands. Taking the doorknob in one of his hands, he turns it and pushes the door open.

Two older folks sitting inside the room both turn their heads and attention towards me and I can feel my body get numb. I step inside the room and I clear my throat hoping to clear the nervousness out of my voice. "Mr. and Mrs. Robbins, I'm Eliza Minnick."

"Eliza!" Mrs. Robbins yells. Her sudden outburst causes me to jump and I instantly find my hand on my chest. "It's about time we finally meet you. We've heard so many good things about you."

She pulls me into a tight hug and I wrap my arms around her. "Thank you so much for coming a day earlier to meet with me."

She loosens her embrace and I pull away from her. "Oh, sweetie, please. We have nothing else better to do than to sit around at home and stare at each other. Thank you for calling us." Mr. Robbins stands and I hold out my hand for him to shake.

"I'm Eliza Minnick, sir. Thank you for coming." He takes my hand and gives it a firm shake.

I must be easy to read right now because right when I swallowed a loud gulp, Mrs. Robbins nudged Mr. Robbins in the arm. "Daniel, quit messing around." She says sticking up for me.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Eliza. You are all Sofia talks about." He lets go of my hand and gives me a genuine smile.

"Pleasure is all mine, sir. Really." I say smiling back at him. "Again, thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I just-I wanted to ask you both something and you can take your time to think about it and everything, but I just wanted your blessing first."

"Go ahead, sweetie." Mrs. Robbins says, encouraging me. She can probably tell I'm rambling.

"I wanted to ask you both for your permission to ask Arizona to marry me." I say dropping my gaze.

I see Mrs. Robbins feet as they step closer in front of me. "Sweetheart, I just want to start off by saying thank you for many reasons. One reason being, you are he first one who has ever asked for our permission for her hand in marriage. So, thank you for including us. Another reason being that, I've heard many many many good things about you. From both Arizona and Sofia. How you take care of them and how much Sofia looks up to you. Eliza, Sofia loves you so much. Our granddaughter means a lot to Daniel and I. If anyone can walk into her life and make her as happy as you do, I think it's more of an honor for us that you want to stay in their lives."

I glance up at her and my heart is now filled with so much joy. _They want me to stay in their lives._ Of course I couldn't be any happier right now. "You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that, Mrs. Robbins."

"You know, we had a feeling this is what you called us over here to talk about and Barbara and I came to the same conclusion. Eliza, you have our full blessing to ask for Arizona's hand in marriage."

* * *

 **thinking of starting a new fic soon :) we'll see**

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 _ **loving it? hating it? want more of it?**_


	32. Chapter 32

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

Eliza left to the hospital after she got paged and honestly, I wasn't aware she was on-call today. I shouldn't complain though, because it gives me time to talk to Sofia about how she's feeling today. Today's the day she was planning on giving Eliza her Christmas gift, but lately I've been noticing she's been a little worried. Something has been definitely up with Eliza too. _"Hey, make sure Arizona doesn't end up finding out about this.. She'll be beyond upset if she knew what I did. Thanks. I'll see you soon."_ What the hell is that supposed to mean? Do you think I'm wrong by assuming something's up with her? Should I not be worried that she's hiding something from me? Because, I am. She wouldn't lie about being paged into the hospital and I hope she didn't just lie to my face.

I pull out my phone from my pocket and decide to text the one person I know I could rely on to tell me the truth. The one person that I could trust to tell me if there's anything going on that I should be aware of.

 **Me: Hey, Alex. Is Eliza there?**

I stand around and wait for a reply. Today should be a big day. It should be a big day for all of us. Maybe Eliza is being this way because she knows my parents are coming into town tomorrow to spend the holidays with us. Maybe I spooked her. She has nothing to worry about though. I know my parents will love her just as much as Sofia and I do. My phone buzzes and I read the short message displayed on the screen.

 **Karev: Yeah, she's here.**

 **Me: Okay, well I was wondering if you could help me out with something or at least dispel my assumptions. This morning she was paged into work and I know we aren't allowed to page anyone 9-1-1 unless there's a legit emergency. Then, someone called her and whoever she was on the phone with she told that person not to tell me about anything because I'd be upset.**

 **Karev: Woah, dude. Slow down. Look, she's here at the hospital. I can assure you there's nothing to be worried about. Don't get ahead of yourself and don't be too quick to jump into conclusions.**

 **Me: Okay, thanks.**

Putting my phone on sleep mode, I put my phone down on the dining table in front of me and lean my head back on the chair I'm sitting on. _You heard him, Arizona. Don't get ahead of yourself and don't be too quick to jump to conclusions._ Deciding to get my mind busy on something other than what Eliza could be keeping from me, I stand to my feet and make my way throughout the bottom floor of the house.

"Sofia!" I call out for my daughter.

I can hear small footsteps running down the staircase. "Coming, mommy." She calls out before she reaches beside me. "Yes?" Sofia says looking up at me.

"Bug, how are you feeling?" I ask, combing my fingers through her hair.

"I feel okay. I had a good sleep last night."

A light chuckle escapes from my mouth. "I could tell you did. You looked very peaceful wrapped in Eliza's arms."

Her smile grows. "Eliza cuddled me last night?"

"Are you kidding me? Eliza was the one that wanted you to sleep with us last night. She didn't want to let you go."

Sofia's smile stretches from ear to ear and her eyes have a sparkle in them. "So she does love me."

My brows furrow and my head tilts slightly to the side. "Sof, of course she does. What would make you think that she doesn't love you?"

"Because I feel that I added more drama to her life. You know, with mama and Penny. Then, mama came and she was saying all these mean things to Eliza. I've just been thinking a lot with what I'm going to ask her and I think it's a lot to deal with. I'm scared, mommy. I'm scared I'm going to ask her and she's going to leave us. I don't want that to happen."

"Baby girl, what you're asking Eliza is a huge deal and I understand why you're scared. Not everyone gets the opportunity to have someone they could trust, look up to, and find special enough to consider a parent figure." Her smile completely disappears from her face and she drops her head. I quickly curl my finger and place it under her chin to lift it. "But, Sof, at the same time.. it's not everyday you're honored with someone asking you to take on the duty of being a parent. I'm not forcing you to ask her and I definitely won't pressure you into doing something you aren't comfortable doing."

"No." She stops me from continuing. "I want to ask her. I'm ready."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm very sure, mommy." She says nodding her head.

"Alright, well the paperwork is all filled out. The hard part is over, now it's your turn to call the shots. When, where, and how."

"Now it's the fun part, right?"

"Right." I say as a matter of fact, throwing her a wink.

I squat down in front of Sofia and pull her into my arms for a tight hug. Just as we pull away from each other, my ringtone blares through the space around us. I hop up and move to the dining table where my phone is. A bit of tension leaves my body when I see my girlfriend's name flashing on my screen.

"Hello?" I say, a sound of relief behind my voice.

"Hey, beautiful. Are you busy?" She asks, almost at a whisper.

"Never busy for you. What's up?"

"Do you mind meeting me here at the hospital?"

 _Oh, great._ She knows I have Sofia with me and she knows I've taken some time off from the hospital. I tell her I'll let her know once I'm there and with that, the phone call ends. I hurry around the house to get my belongings together and to make sure Sofia is ready to go. We leave the house within five minutes..

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 **A/N: i know i've been dragging the proposal on for a while now, but don't worry. the wait will be over in the next chapter :)**

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	33. Chapter 33

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

I've just got off the phone with Arizona and I'm almost positive she has no clue what's going on. It kind of makes me feel bad because I can hear the uncertainty behind her voice, but at the same time, I know it'll all be worth it in the end. Arizona's parents are still here. In fact, I've asked them to be a part of the proposal. I know a hospital wouldn't be on any list of romantic places to propose, but with this being the place Arizona and I met, I figured, surrounded by the people who love and know her best, Grey Sloan Memorial would be the perfect place for me to drop down on one knee.

While Karev is running around gathering everyone closest to Arizona, I'm sitting at a table in the conference room talking to Arizona's parents as familiar faces begin to fill the room one by one. As minutes pass, the room now holds everyone involved in the proposal. My heart begins to race and the realization of how real this is becoming, hits me hard. I begin fidgeting with my hands and bouncing my leg. I take a deep breath in and just as I exhale, a hand reaches across my body and takes both my hands in theirs.

"Everything is going to be perfect. I promise." I turn my head to meet her gaze and I flash her a genuine smile.

"Thank you, Mrs. Robbins. It truly means the world to me to have both of your blessings and for being here to be apart of it. She deserves for this moment to be everything she's ever dreamt of."

"Honey, she's never been proposed to and when she proposed, she was sitting inside a car." We both can't help slight chuckle that leaves our mouths. "You've already made her dreams come true just by being the person you are and allowing her to be herself. And please, we're already family. Enough with the Mrs. Robbins name calling."

I'm feeling more grateful than ever to have the full support of Arizona's parents and her closest friends to go through with asking her to marry me. Knowing her parents had the intentions of spending the holidays in Seattle, Arizona spent a little more time than needed preparing me for their arrival. In my opinion, she really didn't need to. Her parents are amazing people.

Arizona said she'd call when she gets here, but in the meantime, everyone that needs to be here is already here. So, let's get started.

* * *

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

"Mommy, you brought the folder with my paperwork?" The voice of my daughter pulls me from my thoughts as I'm driving our way to the hospital. I glance at the mirror and see Sofia staring at the folder sticking out of my purse.

"I did. I didn't have time to lock it away in the safe before we left the house and it has a lot of information we need to only keep to ourselves." I say, trying to explain to her. I pull the car into an empty stall in the hospital parking lot and grab my purse from the passenger seat next to me.

 _God, I hope Eliza has a good excuse for asking me to come in not only on my day off, but on Christmas Eve when I'm supposed to be spending it with her and Sofia at home._ I know I shouldn't be one to complain considering I have Eliza and Sofia here with me, but I just want to be at home with them all to myself. Taking Sofia by the hand, we walk through the main entrance of Grey Sloan Memorial. Looking around the lobby, I'll have to admit, I do miss being here. I've pretty much been laying low since Sofia came back and even more so since Eliza's return. I haven't had a night out with everyone and I know it's no excuse, but I haven't even had the chance to send out a text to let my friends here know that I'm at least thinking of them. Being here, I'm actually crossing my fingers and hoping I bump into them.

I recognize a nurse who's talking on the phone. She's sitting behind the counter of the nurse's station and I make my way over to her. Hanging the phone before I reach her, I stop right in front of her. "Hey, Andrea." She looks up from the tablet in front of her and gives me a smile.

"Hello, Dr. Robbins. I thought that was you walking in." She stands from her seat and rounds the counter, taking the tablet with her. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

I lower my eyes as I watch her walking up to me. Everyone that works here at Grey Sloan is very friendly, for the most part. Or at least the employees I've encountered are friendly and genuine people. But, the way Andrea is acting right now is sketchy, if you ask me. _Fake and a bit forced.. I can see it all over her face. From her smile to the pitch of her voice. Even her body language seems kind of tense._ I brush it off. "Yeah, actually. Dr. Minnick was paged this morning and then asked me to come in and meet with her. Do you know where I might be able to find her?"

"I last saw her in the pit not too long ago. Do you mind if I walk over with you? I need to drop this off." She says, pointing to the tablet.

"No, not at all."

With Sofia still clenched on to my hand, we walk through the hallway that leads straight into the pit. "Wow, Sofia. You've grown so much since the last time I've seen you." Andrea says, looking at Sofia.

"Eliza says I'm going to be taller than mommy."

Sofia stands proudly and Andrea lets out a light snicker as she watches Sofia's actions. "I think I'll have to agree with Eliza."

We reach the pit and I glance around the Emergency Room, but there's no sign of Eliza. When I take another look around, I notice there's no sign of my friends here either. "No Kepner today? No Hunt?"

"Oh, you know what? They might've been called out to the ambulance bay for a patient. I have some stuff I need to take care of here, but why don't you go check?"

 _Okay, this is becoming very, very weird. Something just doesn't seem right. Something feels very off._ I look down at Sofia and she doesn't seem phased at all. I don't expect her to be, so it's a good thing. We round the corner and walk out the automatic doors. The sight I have in front of me causes me to lose my breath. I begin panting and find my free hand placed over my chest. My vision becomes blurry from the unshed tears I have building up in my eyes. I swallow the lump I have in my throat and the tears begin to flow down my face.

I'm speechless. Absolutely speechless. Everyone I love and hold dear to my heart is lined up each holding up a letter spelling out 'WILL U MARRY ME?' I plaster the biggest smile across my face and fixate my eyes especially on the 'U.' "Grandma! Grandpa!" Sofia lets go of my hand and runs up to my parents who are sharing the duty of holding up the single letter.

I make my way to Eliza who's kneeling down on one knee, surrounded by rose pedals laid out in the shape of a heart. Drying my eyes with my hands, I stop when I reach the front of her and begin sobbing as she holds out a small black box containing the most gorgeous ring I've ever laid eyes on.

"Arizona, will you do me the honor of-"

"YES! Eliza, Yes." I cup her face with both my hands and pull her up to her feet, pressing my lips firmly against her own. Her arms wrap around my waist and everyone around us claps, cheers, and whistles.

"Will you marry me, Arizona?" She asks softly, as our foreheads lean against each others.

"There isn't anything I'd want more than to be your wife, baby."

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	34. Chapter 34

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

Arizona said yes. She accepted my proposal and now we're engaged. _Wait, I'm engaged._ I've actually never thought this day would ever come. I never thought one day I'd be lucky enough to find someone that makes me unbelievably and content and happy. We're surrounded by Arizona's closest family and friends right now and I can't believe I have the woman of my dreams in my arms. Our foreheads are against each others and I pull away from her. I take her left hand in mine and slip the ring Karev and I picked out, on her ring finger. We both take a moment to soak this all in and when I lift my head, I can't help the growing smile on my face when I see the biggest smile Arizona has on hers. With her dimples popping and her eyes now filling with what I'm assuming are happy tears, I crush my lips against hers for a brief kiss and whisper the words 'I love you' just loud enough for her to hear.

Everyone crowds around us to congratulate the both of us with smiles, hugs, and high fives. Arizona's parents make their way to us and while Arizona's mom takes her into her arms, I hold my hand out for Daniel to take, but instead he holds out his arms and I lean into him, accepting his hug.

"Welcome to the family, Eliza." He says to me, still holding me in his embrace.

"Thank you, sir." He loosens his arms and I pull back meeting his eyes with my own. "You won't regret giving me your blessing. I can promise you that."

"Oh, I know I won't. You're the perfect one for her, I can promise _you_ that."

He winks my way and just then, Barbara startles me with her unexpected arms thrown around my shoulders from behind. "Honey, I'm so happy for the both of you. Well, the three of you, I should say. You all deserve each other."

"Thank you so much, Barbara. It seriously wouldn't have been this special if you both weren't here." I turn my head to say to her and I hold her arms on the front of my body.

Once Barbara's arms drop from my body, Arizona leans into my body and looks at me. "So, that's why you were paged here this morning? Because you asked them to come a day earlier?"

I nod my head. "Arizona, I'm sor-" Before I can finish, she cuts me off by pressing a soft kiss on my lips. "I wanted their permission first, then I wanted them to be here when I asked you."

"It means the world to me that you included them in it, Eliza. I just wanted you to know that."

"You're not mad at me, right?"

"Mad?" She lets out a soft chuckle. "Why would I be mad at you?"

"I went behind your back and contacted them to be here today." I say, a little ashamed of my actions.

"Eliza, you just proposed to me in the most amazing way possible, better than any way I could have ever imagined. I wouldn't ever be mad at you for going behind my back to surprise me with my parents being here to witness it all."

I feel like I'm on cloud nine right now. I go around and I thank everyone for being apart of such an amazing moment in my life and for helping me put everything together. I'm aware that it wouldn't be as amazingly possible if it weren't for their help. I stop dead in my tracks when I realize I've seen and have been congratulated by everyone but one person. One very important person. Looking around, my eyes meet Arizona's and she can tell by the look on my face that something isn't right. I hope she isn't upset that I didn't include her in the proposal. I mentioned to her one night while I was tucking her in bed that I planned on asking her mom to marry me, and she seemed excited by it at the time. I hope she doesn't regret it. I hope she hasn't changed her mind since then.

Feeling the pocket of my leather jacket, I feel for the jewelry box that I still have yet to give Sofia. "Hey, any idea where Sof is?" I ask Arizona. She scans the crowd and when she catches no sign of her daughter, a look of panic washes over her face. "You don't think she's upset, do you?"

"I doubt that's the case. She's hoped for this day just as much as me."

Just then, Sofia walks out from the automatic doors of hospital and joins us outside in the ambulance bay. She has a bright yellow folder in her hands and a look of worry displayed on her face. Everyone quickly turns their attention to the small body making her way through the crowd of people. Sof walks towards Arizona and I and stops when she reaches the front of us. I turn to face Arizona and furrow my brow when I see she has unshed tears in her eyes.

"Eliza?" Sofia says under her breath.

I kneel down in front of her to match her eye level. "What's wrong, Sof? What is it?" I bring my hand up to her face and push aside stands of hair resting on her cheek.

"There's something I want to ask you." Sofia takes a deep breath and opens the folder in her hands. Pulling out a thick packet from one of the pockets, she drops the folder and holds up the packet in front of me. "My daddy died when I was still a baby. I don't remember him, but mommy and mama always talk about him to me and they always say how much I meant to him. They always took turns taking care of me and when he died they lost a person in their support system. We all lost a very important person. I know nobody can replace him, but something tells me you're the closest person to that support system my mommies once had. I don't want you to guess if I want you in the stands at my sports games or asking yourself if it's okay to show up to my school recitals. I just want you to be there, because I want you to be." She pauses and turns to look at Arizona who's nodding. Then, she continues. "No one can replace daddy, but mama, mommy, and me.. We want you to be part of this family. I want you to be my parent too."

I don't notice I've been crying until I bring my hands up and wipe the pool of tears at my jawline. Today has been filled with such amazing emotions and I feel my heart is just about to burst with love and happiness. Sofia's admission hasn't left anyone around us with a dry eye, including me. There's no hesitation to it. There's not even a thought about it. I cup her face with both my hands and dip my head to meet her eyes with mine. "Sofia, I wouldn't miss anything of yours for the world." I pull out the jewelry box from my pocket that holds the necklace I've bought for Sofia. I bought matching sets for Arizona and I as well. But since I just gave Arizona a ring, I didn't want Sofia thinking I'd forgotten about her. This day has always been about the three of us. Pulling out the box and opening it in front of Sofia, her eyes widen when she sees this is just for her. I hold up the necklace with a heart shaped pendant dangling from the chain, and wrap it around her neck. She looks down with the sweetest smile on her face and looks up at me after reading the engraving on both sides.

"Always? And forever?"

"You got it. Because I'll always be there for you and I'll love you forever." I say, brushing my thumb on her chin. "Now, let's get those papers signed right away." I flash her a wink and she throws both her hands in the air and jumps into my arms.

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	35. Chapter 35

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

My heart is pounding with love and I've been smiling so much today that my cheekbones are aching. I can see why Eliza's been so distant towards me and now I feel bad for all the suspicions I've accumulated while she was simply just busy planning and setting up the most perfect proposal a person could ever dream of. I'll admit I was very surprised. I didn't see it coming and I definitely was not expecting it at all. I honestly believe I am the happiest person alive right now. I'm happy for the both of us and excited for our future together. Also, I'm glad we're both on the same page as far as wanting to be married to each other.

We're sitting in the car on the way home and my fiancée is sitting next to me in the passenger's seat. My fingers laced with her own, placed on op of her lap, I can't help but to notice she's caught in her thoughts staring out the window. I give her hand a squeeze and she turns to look at me.

"Is everything okay?" I ask softly.

She gives me a subtle smile. "Everything's perfect, Arizona. How about you? How are you feeling?"

Stopping at a red light, I look her way and smile back at her. "I have to admit, I was very shocked. I was not expecting any of that at all." She furrows her brows and drops her gaze. "But, I can promise you, Eliza, this has been the best surprise. Thank you for putting all of this together."

"Well, you truly deserve to have the world."

"I'm just trying to figure out how you managed to keep it all to yourself and know exactly what I would have hoped for when the time came to be proposed to. You got it all, Eliza. Down to the last very detail."

"I just went with what I thought you would want. Your family and your friends you pretty much consider family."

"Crazy." I breathe out, combing my fingers through my hair.

"What is?"

"All of this. You've made me the happiest person alive right now." The sunlight shines through the windows and onto her face, making her eyes sparkle. She's seriously so breathtaking.

"No. You want to know what's crazy?" I raise an eyebrow and wait for her response. "Sofia asking me to adopt her. How did you guys pull _that_ off? How did you even get Callie to agree to that?"

"Oh, there wasn't much convincing that had to be done. She agreed with it all." I pull into the driveway. My parents and Sofia file out of the car and I take a moment alone with Eliza. "Hey." I say, making her turn to face me. "You've made Sofia very happy. That decision was all her."

She takes a deep breath and her eyes begin to water. "I'm just scared I'm going to fail her, Arizona. I was promised to be there whenever she needed me to be and I love her unconditionally no matter what, but this?"

I can see the worry in her eyes and it makes my heart swell. I mean, the only reason why she would be reacting this way is because she cares so much for Sofia. Otherwise, why else would she be doubting herself. "Look, the only difference between then and now is your signature on those papers."

"She really wants me to be one of her moms?" A slight smile creeps across her face and I can tell the idea of her being a mom is settling. "I'm a mom?" She says under her breath. "What do I do now? Like, how- What's next? Oh, God. What if I forget her birthday? What if she-"

"Woah, woah, woah." I quickly cut her off. "Don't get too ahead of yourself. Just take it day by day. She loves you, Eliza. You love her. Parenting is something you have to take day by day. Expect the unexpected, but just know we have each other to lean on. Always." She leans in and presses a soft kiss on my lips.

"Always?"

"Always, baby." We make our way out and round the corner of the car, meeting at the trunk to gather my parents' luggage. Hearing a faint buzz coming from Eliza's phone, she pulls it out and reads what is displayed on the screen. The smile on her face immediately disappears. She clears her throat and shakes her head. "Is everything okay?"

She looks up at me and I can tell I caught her off guard and lost in the middle of her thoughts. "I'm sorry. What did you say?"

"I was just asking if everything is okay."

"Oh, yeah. Um, I'm sorry." She carries the bags and waits for me as I shut the trunk door. "Hey, would you mind if I go for a run? I just need to clear my head." We begin walking towards the house and a bit of worry hits me.

"Of course not. Wait, Eliza." I take her by her arm and swing her around to face me. "Is everything okay?"

"It will be, Arizona. I promise."

"Are we okay?"

"We're perfect. You and Sofia are amazing."

"Then what is it?" I know she can tell I'm worried. To be honest, I really am. She's not doing or saying much to make my worries disappear either.

"It's just something I need to sort out." She gives me a sad smile and turns to walk into the house. Eliza's on the verge of a breakdown, it's written all over her body language and her facial expression. I trust her with all my heart and I don't want to give her a reason to feel that I don't. But if she's not going to let me in, then what do I do? What is there that I can do?

It's been a little over an hour since Eliza left for a run and at this point, I'm beyond worried. Taking my cell phone from the kitchen table, I scroll through my contacts for my fiancée and tap her name for a call. Waiting for the call to connect, I hear a familiar ringtone a distance away. It's soft, but still audible enough for me to recognize that it's Eliza's ringtone. Following where the noise is coming from, it leads me into my bedroom. _Great, she left her phone._ I end the call on my phone and her phone leaves a notification on her screen of the missed call from me. Her screen still lit, I see the missed call notification and an unread text message from someone by the name of Ronnie.

 _ **Hey, sunshine. Merry Christmas. I just wanted you to know that the results came back positive. I wanted you to hear it from me, but I couldn't build up the courage to call you. I want you to know that after our conversation, you're it. You're the one, Eliza. I picked you for a reason. I love you xoxo**_

* * *

 *** i'm leaving on vacation to disneyland next week. what do you guys think? should i leave you on a cliffhanger until i get back? ***

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	36. Chapter 36

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

I've been running for over an hour and I feel like I can continue running for days. To get things off my chest, I run. It helps me blow off steam and I get in a good workout in the meantime. I've just had the best day ever. Definitely a day to never forget. Not only did I ask the love of my life to marry me, but I gained a family. A future wife and a daughter. _My_ future wife and _my_ daughter. I sat in Arizona's car on the way home thinking how much I love my life right now. Given the opportunity, if I had the chance to go back and change something in the past, I wouldn't. Because I believe everything happens for a reason. I believe that my past has led me to the life changing events that occurred earlier today. I truly believed that there was absolutely nothing in the world that could or would bring me down. _Boy, was I wrong._

Running through a near empty park, I spot a bench and decide to take a seat. I need to take a break before my mind races and puts me into an anxiety breakdown. I don't know what's wrong with me. I should be at home with Arizona and Sofia. I should be at home with my family. It's Christmas Eve, and I've decided to let something come between my happiness. I'm letting something come between what is supposed to be the happiest day of my life. That something is huge though. That something impacts me and my future. Realizing I've been out longer than I'd anticipate, I make my way through the park trail and back to Arizona's house. With her street coming into view, I slow my pace and walk the rest of the way. I climb onto the porch and curl my hand into a fist and lightly knock on Arizona's front door.

The door swinging open, a smile stretches across my face. "Oh, sweetie. You're just in time for dinner." Barbara says stepping aside. I walk past her to get into the house.

"Mmm, I can't wait. It smells amazing." I take off my shoes and turn to her, only to catch her looking back at me as she wipes her hands on the towel hanging from her apron. "I'll be back down as soon as I freshen up."

"No problem. Do you mind telling Arizona dinner will be ready in ten minutes? Sofia is helping me set the table and ice the cake."

I begin to walk up the staircase. "Wow, cake too? What's the occasion?" I run up the remaining stairs and hear a laugh come from Barbara. I knock on the bedroom door that Arizona has been sharing with me for the past weeks. I've been out for a while, so I'm not sure what to expect on the other side of the door. Not hearing any acknowledgement or movements coming from inside the room, I slowly push the door open and poke my head inside to take a look around. My brows furrow when I find no sign of Arizona. I move further in the bedroom and make sure to close the door behind me. I move around the bedroom to find my phone on top of the dresser, only the text notification I've received from Ronnie is gone from my screen. _I know she read the message and I bet her head is filled with unnecessary thoughts._ Next to my phone is a white envelope that has my name written on it. A smile growing on my face, I take the envelope and instantly know what is inside it. _A key. Not just any key though, a key to Arizona's home._ I place the envelope back down and I start to undress myself, leaving just my panty and bra on when I hear a familiar sound of Arizona clearing her throat inside the bathroom. I tap on the bathroom door hear a faint voice behind it. "Eliza?"

I open the door and find a naked Arizona lying in the tub with water surrounding her body. Soft music playing and the smell of lavender fills the room. "Hey, can I come in?"

"Of course," she says, sitting up a little. I sit beside the tub facing her. "How was your run?"

"It was good. If I didn't realize how much I missed you and Sofia, I probably could have run forever."

"Well, I'm glad you came back to us." She smiles and I take her hand in my own and lace our fingers together.

"A key?" My eyes meet her own and a tear slips down my face.

"Well, I would have gave it to you earlier, but you know.. You kind of beat me to it." A slight laugh slipping though her lips, I bring my free hand up to my jawline and wipe the tear that's gathered. "I've wanted you to move in with us a while ago, I just didn't know how to ask. I was scared you were going to say no."

"A no wouldn't have even crossed my mind." I give her a sad smile and she turns her attention to the bubbles in front of her. "Arizona, I know you read the text on my phone."

She nods her head. "I'm sorry, Eliza." She turns to face me and I can see the guilt written on her face. "I just, I called you and I followed the ringtone back to your phone only to find out you left it here. Then the text was still displayed on your phone, I just couldn't help myself. Your mood totally changed when you received the text."

"Hey," I bring her hand up to my lips and place a soft kiss on the back of her hand. "I have absolutely nothing to hide from you. My mood did change and before I held my emotions in and went crazy until I exploded, I had to go for a run. But, then I thought to myself, I'm here running to clear my head. Why? When I have a fiancée waiting for me at home that will help me go through everything and anything life throws at me."

"True, babe. I will be beside you through it all. You just have to let me in." She takes a deep breath before asking me, "So, who's Ronnie?"

"Ronnie is my best friend and has been since elementary. When I left Seattle, I went back home and I made it a point to try to visit her. Well, she kept her distance from me. She refused to answer my calls and return my texts. She didn't want to meet up with me until I ran into her at the local grocery store. I took one look at her, Arizona, and right away I diagnosed her. She was already showing cancer symptoms. She didn't want to face the fact and me being a doctor, she didn't want to me to see her like that. She hasn't gone to the doctors for them to run any tests and at least let them see if she had any options. I guess she finally went and the scans came back positively identifying she has lung cancer." Arizona sits up in the tub and turns her body to face me. She cups my face with both of her hands and tears immediately run down my face. "She has cancer, Arizona, and I already know it's too far along for them to do anything about it. I already know there's nothing they can do to help her. She has an eight month old son that I baptized while I was there, and he's not going to be old enough to know her."

"We'll help her, Eliza. We'll bring her here and we'll do everything we can to save her."

"And if we can't?" I say, trying to be hopeful but not succeeding.

"Then, at least we've done everything we can."

"Okay. I'll call her to see if she would be willing to fly over. Be with me when I do though?"

"Of course."

"Thank you, Arizona." I tell her, with a sad smile.

"We'll do everything we can, Eliza. I promise. So, tell me more about her. An eight month old son, huh?"

A light giggle slips through my lips. "Yeah, he's the cutest little boy ever. His name's River Tate."

"Aww, now that is a cute name. So, on her text when she said that you're it and she chose you?"

"She chose me to be River's godmother. I'm all she has, so if anything were to happen to her, I'm all he would have." A deep breath leaves my mouth. "We can't let anything happen to her."

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	37. Chapter 37

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

 _A few days later…_

Now that the holidays are coming to an end, the affirmation of Eliza's best friend having cancer is hitting her hard. She's been quiet and to herself lately. It's breaking my heart that she has to go through this, but she won't be going through this alone. I'll make sure of that. I can tell this has been what's filling Eliza's mind these past couple of days and to be honest, I don't blame her.

Coming into our bedroom, Eliza plunges herself onto the bed to lie down next to me. She pulls her phone from the back pocket of her jeans and turns to her side, propping herself onto her elbow. "Arizona, I'm sorry for how I've been acting lately."

"Baby, don't worry about it." I sit up and rest my back against the headboard. "I know you're going through a lot and you have a lot on your mind. It's a lot to take in."

"It's just, this time was supposed to be about us. We were supposed to happily engaged and celebrating it." She drops her gaze to her hand and plays with the bed sheets we're lying on. "I feel like I've ruined the mood and totally killed the engagement vibe."

"Okay, you need to listen to me." I motion for her to sit up and face me because right now, I mean business. Crossing her legs in front of her, I take her hand in mine and our eyes meet. "First of all, we _are_ still happily engaged and we have the rest of our engaged lives to celebrate it. The time we stop being happily engaged is the second we become happily married. Second, I will be right next to you through every step of the way. I want to be your everything, Eliza." I give her a sad smile and I can see tears forming in her eyes. "I want to be your shoulder to lean on and whenever you need, your shoulder to cry on too. I want you to face your fears and take life into your hands knowing that no matter what the outcome is, you will always have me to pick you up when you fall or meet you at the top of the peak when you're feeling like you're on top of the world. Whatever you need and whenever you need it, I'm your girl, baby. Always."

Tears are now running down her face and I pick my hands up to her cheeks to wipe them away. "I don't know, Arizona." She says, shaking her head.

"Huh?" My heart drops into the pit of my stomach and I furrow my brows. What does she mean, _I don't know?_ She doesn't know what? What doesn't she know? I meant every word I said. I want nothing more than to be her everything and I want nothing more than for her to _know_ that I'm here to weather the storm with her.

She wipes the tears that have built up at her jawline and looks at me with a genuine smile. "I don't know what I did to deserve you." I let out a sigh of relief and tackle her so she falls back onto the bed. "I guess I should call her, huh? I mean, she's probably wondering why I haven't texted her back. God, what kind of best friend am I?"

"Hey, don't do that to yourself." I press my lips against hers. "But yeah, you should probably call her."

"I will right now." Lifting myself off of her, I go back to my spot leaning my back against the headboard. She takes her phone from the bed and begins scrolling through her contacts. "But, before I do. There's something you need to know."

Tilting my head to the side, I lift a brow and wait for her to tell me. "Go ahead. You have my attention."

"We were best friends since elementary school and when we went into high school.. You know, high school is such a confusing time for everyone." She's beginning to ramble and I have a feeling I know where this conversation is leading to.

"I'm aware. I too attended high school." I nod my head and I can see her nerves creeping.

"Well, high school was when I was still figuring out myself. I was still questioning everything about myself. Ronnie wasn't just my best friend, Arizona. She was also my first."

I close my eyes at her admission and I let out a big sigh. _No matter what, Arizona. This isn't about you and your feelings, Arizona. You put yourself aside and pull yourself together for your fiancée._ I clear my throat to brush away the emotions I'm trying so hard to hide. "She was your first?"

"Yeah. My first girlfriend and my first-"

"Okay, yeah. I can fill in the rest of that sentence."

"You've changed your mind about having her come here, huh?" A grin appears on her face.

"Eliza, no. I still want to do everything I can to help her. That was a while ago and she has a baby now. I just- there's nothing I have to worry about, right?"

"Absolutely not. It's long over and I'm yours, Arizona. Completely." She says, reassuring me. "I just felt like you should know incase she agrees to fly over and the subject finds its way to the surface. You have nothing to worry about."

She reaches for my hand and gives it a firm squeeze before she hits Ronnie's name for a call. Waiting for the call to connect, I can't help but to be nervous. I don't know why I am. I wouldn't be feeling this way if she didn't tell what she just told me. "Hey there, sexy." A woman's voice says, answering the call. _Oh, great._

* * *

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	38. Chapter 38

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

I told Arizona about my past with Ronnie, not because I wanted to start something between her and I, but because I felt that it would be better coming from me than Ronnie. I saw my opportunity and I took it. I could tell it bothered her a little, but I hope she believes me when I say she has absolutely nothing to worry about. Since Ronnie confirmed the results of her having cancer, I've never been any more certain about the fact that I would not be able to get through this without Arizona by my side.

I feel like me and Ronnie's relationship is long over. Broken beyond repair. I was young and in high school. At this time, I was still questioning my sexuality and believe me when I say, I was beyond confused. I feel like I spent half my time trying to convince myself that I was into guys. Although, I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe it was me feeling like if I liked women I would be letting down my parents? Maybe it was me feeling like nobody would accept me into their lives if I was attracted to females. Let's just say, I cared a lot about what others thought about me back then. It wasn't about my happiness or how I felt. I took the easy way out and hid. I spent so long building an outer shell of how I wanted others to see me, which was basically society's interpretation of normal. _Normal?_ _I hate that word._

I'm lying in bed with Arizona and debating whether now would be a good time to call Ronnie. Regardless of having a past with her, she's still sick and I want to do everything in my power to help her out in every way possible. "Hey, be with me when I make the call?" Arizona takes my hand in hers and nods her head. I hit the name on my screen and wait for the call to connect, putting it on speaker for my fiancée to hear. I don't know why I'm all of a sudden so freaking nervous. I deal with sick patients all the time. Hell, I've even had patients take their last breaths right in front of my eyes.

Shaking my head from the thoughts on my mind, the call connects and the sound of a familiar voice from the other of the call, breaks my heart. "Hey there, sexy. I take it you got my text." Ronnie says, letting out a light chuckle. I instantly put a grin on my face and shake my head. Arizona looks at me, squinting her eyes.

"Yeah, I did. Now that you know, we can give you options, treatment plans, and-"

She cuts me off, "whoa, hold on. Who said I want options and treatment plans?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Eliza, if it wasn't for you _making_ me go, I wouldn't have known it's this serious. I didn't want to know in the first place and honestly, I wish I didn't go."

"How is this my fault? I didn't _make_ you go, Ronnie." I feel my body tensing and the tone of my voice rising and harshening. "I don't get it. Why would you not want to know your options? Why wouldn't you want to do something about it? You have a son. A son who has his whole life ahead of him. Do you not want to be there for that? Do you not want to be there to watch him grow up?"

I hear sniffles coming from the other end and I immediately regret how blunt I was being towards her. I throw my phone down on the bed between me and Arizona and I bring my knees against my chest, hugging my legs tight. There's nothing more that I want right now, than to be in Arizona's arms as I cry out every drop of tear I have in me. This isn't about me or my feelings though. My emotional outbreak can come later. "There's nothing they can do." I faintly hear her say.

"What?" I heard what she said, but my mind is rejecting it. I'm hoping I didn't hear her correctly.

"They ran a couple tests and did a few scans, but it's.. Eliza, it's too late." I take a deep breath and do my best to hold back the tears that are tempting to fall. "It's everywhere. There are no options."

A scoff escaping my mouth, I pick myself up and off the bed. I can feel Arizona's eyes watching me as I make my way out the room with Ronnie still on the line. I don't want to hear this right now and trust me when I say, I could really use some time alone. I'm glad Sofia is out with her grandparents, because the last thing I want is for her to see me break down. Hell, another reason why I walked away is because I don't want my emotions to get the best of me and I say something I don't mean or I brush Arizona off when all she's trying to do is be there for me. It's just best if I stay away right now.

* * *

I hear footsteps approaching behind me and I glance over my shoulder to find my girlfriend walking out the front door. I'm done crying. I've let everything out, but I'm sure my eyes are still puffy and my cheeks probably have tearstains on them. "How are you holding up," she asks me in a soft and loving tone. I shrug my shoulders and she takes a seat next to me on the front step of the porch. "Well, after getting the opportunity to talk to your best friend.."

I can't help but laugh as I remember just leaving the room with Arizona sitting there and Ronnie still on the phone. "Like you had a choice. I'm sorry I just left you like that."

"I understand, baby. I'm not here for an apology from you either, if that's what you're thinking." I shrug my shoulders and she places her hand on my thigh. "As I was saying, after getting to know her.. I kinda like her. She's smart, knows exactly what she wants, and doesn't settle for anything other than what she's wants."

"She's also stubborn." I quickly add.

"Oh, she's definitely stubborn." We share a laugh together and I smile to myself when I'm instantly reminded just how much I love my fiancée. "But, she's also practical and understanding. Of course, after some nudging and a little prying. She's agreed to fly here to be seen at Grey Sloan. I still want to see if there's anything we can do to save her. She stayed on the phone with me as I looked up flights and gave her the itinerary as soon as I booked it." I turn my head to look at Arizona and my eyes are instantly met with hers. "I didn't want her to even think about changing her mind, so I just booked it. Her and the baby arrive in two days. I know I should have checked with you first and talked to you about what you want, but-" I slip my hand around to the back of her neck and pull her in to me. I crash my lips against hers and without thinking it was even possible, I swear I just fell deeper in love with the woman I'm getting married to.

* * *

 *** this will be the last update for this fanfic until tuesday :) ***

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	39. Chapter 39

**SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ARIZONA'S POV_

I didn't mean to step over Eliza's toes, but at the same time, she didn't really give me a choice. I mean, I don't blame her for being upset or storming out of the room like she did. If anything, my heart aches for her and at the possibility of Eliza losing someone she's close to. When Eliza left the room, the call was still connected and all that I could hear were the sobs coming from the other end. I didn't know much about Ronnie, other than the fact that she is Eliza's best friend who also turned out to be her first girlfriend as well.

I'm sitting on the bench on the front porch watching the sun setting and I can't help but to think back to the phone conversation I had Ronnie. I've returned back to work two days ago and I made contacting the hospital she was seen at, one of my priorities. I've asked her primary doctor to send over her charts and medical history to get a good, closer look on what exactly we're dealing with. Since she'll be flying to Seattle in a couple days, I wanted to make sure we give her the best.

 _Grabbing the phone into my hand, I take it off speaker and press it against my ear. "Hello, Ronnie?"_

" _Uh, hello?" I could sense a little hesitation coming from her. She probably has no idea who I am, especially knowing Eliza and I sound nothing alike._

" _Hi, there. I don't mean to make your business mine, but-"_

" _You must be Arizona." She cuts me off, but I felt the mood lighten up a bit when she said my name._

" _Yeah, I'm Arizona." I assure her._

" _And let me guess, Eliza is no longer in the room."_

" _Wow, you're good."_

 _She lets out a light chuckle. "You're all Eliza talked about when she was here. She travelled a lot because of her job and comes back home to visit every chance she's given, but never did she talk about another doctor the way she talked about you." A smile curls to my face thinking about how lucky I am to have Eliza. "I'm glad she has you back."_

" _So am I."_

" _Well, it was nice to finally meet you kind of. Do me a favor and take care of her for me?"_

" _Ronnie, wait." I take my laptop sitting on top of my end table and I immediately begin searching for one-way flights to Seattle. "Before you go, I just want you to at least think about maybe coming here to Seattle for a second opinion?"_

" _Arizona, I appreciate you trying to help but they've already said there's nothing that can be done."_

" _I know and that's why it's good to get a second opinion. Look, I'm not trying to force you to do anything you're not up to do, but I'm just asking you-no I'm begging you to just please consider coming to Grey Sloan Memorial for a second opinion. Our doctors have seen and dealt seen patients dealing with-"_

" _I would consider, but I have a baby and a job. I'm barely able to keep afloat right now. There's no way I can spare that kind of money for a flight."_

" _What day will work out for you?"_

" _What? What do you mean?"_

" _When would be the soonest you would be able to fly out?"_

" _Probably in a week?"_

" _Okay, well I've just booked you a flight to Seattle in a week. We'll take care of everything."_

" _Arizona, I can't accept that. That's too much." I hear the soft sounds of baby noises coming from the other end of the phone and I'm relieved I've gotten the chance to book her flight before the baby takes her attention away._

" _It's already been taken care of for the most part. Just make sure you and the baby are on the plane and we'll handle the rest. We have a guest room that you can stay in. There's really nothing else to worry about. I'll have Eliza text you once I let her know."_

" _You really don't take no for an answer, huh?" She says, playfully._

" _Nope, especially not when I want to make sure there's really nothing that can be done to help you."_

" _Well, thank you so much. If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know."_

" _Just make sure you're on that flight." I tell her, with the baby on the other end starting to cry._

" _I'll see you guys in a week." She lets out, along with a sigh._

A warm body sitting beside me and an arm wrapping around my waist, pulls me away from my flashback. I lean my head against Eliza's shoulder and I exhale a deep breath. "You doing okay?" She asks me. "You looked lost in your thoughts."

"That's because I was." I say softly.

"Want to share?"

I lift my head from her shoulder and turn my body so I'm facing her. "I've received Ronnie's scans this morning and I took a look at it with Webber and Bailey. I stared at it long and hard." A sad smile appears on my face. I can see tears forming in Eliza's eyes and she starts shaking her head.

"There's no hope, huh?" A tear falls from her eye and I cup her cheek with my hand, wiping the fallen tear with my thumb.

"They believe they can get it out. It's not going to be easy and there are a lot of risks involved, but they are pretty confident they can extract it. We'll just have to wait and see when she gets here to do scans of our own. Don't give up yet, baby."

"I'll try not to," she leans into my touch and she gives me a sad smile mirroring mine. "I can't wait for you to meet her and River. He's the cutest baby ever."

"Hey, what about me?" The voice of my tiny human diverts our attention towards the front door.

Eliza tugs on Sofia's hand, making her drop onto her lap. "Oh, you're definitely the cutest tiny human on the planet." Sofia lets out a laugh when Eliza starts tickling her tummy.

"We're going to have a baby in the house in a couple of days, Sof." I tell her. She stops in her tracks and looks at me with her eyes widening. "His name's River and he's a teeny tiny baby."

"He's also your God-brother. Are you going to be a big girl and help take care of him?" Eliza asks, lifting her up to stand on her feet.

"I can help?" Sof's eyes get even bigger and the smile on her face brightens.

"Of course you can." I tell her. "I'm going to the store tomorrow to buy him some things, would you like to come?"

"Yes, mommy! Can I pick out a toy for him?" I nod my head to answer her question. She steps back away from Eliza and I with a smile that hasn't left her face since we told her about River coming. "I always wanted a little brother."

 _Woah there, Sofia.._

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	40. Chapter 40

*** hey, everyone! i've missed you all! thank you so much for all your kind reviews on this fanfic. it's very much appreciated. i'm sorry this update took forever and a day, but i'm here to tell you the wait is finally over! ***

* * *

 **SHONDA & ABC OWN IT ALL**

 _ELIZA'S POV_

"Eliza?" Arizona calls out for me from another isle.

"Yeah?" I quickly respond.

Today has felt like it's been the longest day ever. Arizona and I were both scheduled to work earlier today and once our shifts were over, we picked up Sofia from school and have been going around to the stores buying necessities for the house. Now it's past dinnertime and we've ended up in the baby section of what I hope will be the last store of the night. At least today is Friday and Arizona and I have the next two days off. I'm beyond hungry and way over exhausted.

I make my way to where I think I heard Arizona's voice come from and find her standing in the middle of the isle, holding up the most adorable onesie. "Look at this! Isn't it cute?" She looks over to me and the pure joy she has on her face is rubbing off on me.

"Okay, you definitely have to get that one." I flash her a smile and look down at the shopping cart next to her. "Babe, we should probably start wrapping up."

"Aw, I could spend forever in this section though." She says looking at the onesie she's holding up, with a pout. "I couldn't help myself. I just started filling the cart with everything I knew he wouldn't need, but couldn't resist and stuff that I knew would be useful like spare bottles, cans of formula, pampers, wipes, and.." She drops her head to look in the shopping cart and I'm assuming she's now seeing the sight that has caught my eyes. "Aw, my baby girl."

A sleeping Sofia cuddled up in the basket of the shopping cart with her arms tightly wrapped around a stuffed elephant, "well, I think she picked out an item she wanted to get River."

"Yeah, we should probably start making our way to checkout. We haven't eaten dinner yet."

She places the onesie in the cart and I gently rub Sofia's back, hoping to wake her. Sofia begins to stir a little and rubs her eyes open. "Hey, bug. You hungry?" I ask, lifting her out of the cart.

"Is it morning yet?" She looks up at me with her eyes evidently heavy.

Giving her a half smile, I comb my fingers through her hair and shake my head. "Not yet, Sof."

"I want it to be morning already because that means River will be on his way to our house." It's an hour past Sofia's bedtime and since we haven't eaten dinner yet, I'm getting a sense she should be just as hungry as I am right now.

Ronnie and River will be arriving in Seattle tomorrow morning and it's pretty clear, we're more than excited that they're coming. I spoke to Ronnie earlier this morning to check her into her flight and made sure she was all set and had everything she needed for her and for River, at least until she got here, then Arizona and I will take care of the rest. Arizona can't wait to have an infant in the house, she's even brought out many photo albums of Sofia when she was a baby and for the past couple nights after dinner, we'd watch home videos that Mark filmed of Sofia. Having the support of three parents taking care of one baby must have made raising a baby somewhat easy.

As the three of us are making our ways towards the cashier and Sofia's hand in my own, I can't help but to admire the little girl walking beside me. Her radiant spirit and how her eyes light up with excitement like she's cracked the code in some kind of sorcery makes my role as mom more joyful than I ever could have imagined it being. She's a sponge of new information and when she learns something new at school, Arizona and I learn things a second time. Life with Sofia in it has been nothing short of breathtaking.

* * *

We've been at home for a bit and while Arizona goes through the bags of things we bought from the store, I clean our mess from dinner with Sofia's help. The car ride home and dinner have been a little quiet, but my excuse is that everyone's just had a really long day. I'm washing dishes now and the sound of little feet running away echoes throughout the house. Strong, petite arms wrap around my waist from behind me and a hand finds its way under the hoodie I'm wearing and brushes against my bare skin. "Eliza, you've been quiet since we left the store. Talk to me."

"I'm sorry. It's nothing." I let out a deep breath and shake my head slightly.

She reaches past me and shuts the faucet off. Holding me by my waist, she turns me in her arms. My eyes meet her own and her eyes are filled with concern. "What's wrong, baby?"

Dropping my gaze, I close my eyes and try to gather my thoughts. " I don't know. I feel like I'm just-I'm just a little anxious, I guess."

"Hey," she says, softly. She curls a finger under my chin and lifts my gaze to meet her own. "Everything's going to be fine. We have the best team in line to care for her. Don't give up hope just yet."

"You're right. Thank you." I flash her a sad smile and she leans in to me, pressing her lips against mine. "I think I'm more anxious of having a baby in the house."

A laugh escapes from Arizona's mouth. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I've never really been around a baby before and River is like a newborn. And now he's coming to stay here for a while. Ronnie's not going to be in the best shape to care for him with her treatments and all. So, that leaves me to take care of him. I don't know. What if I mess up? It's not like he can talk and tell me why he's crying and what he needs or if he's hungry, you know?"

I breathe a deep breath in and the smile on Arizona's face widens. "Okay, for starters, the rambling you're doing is very adorable. Secondly, lucky thing your amazing fiancée is very experienced with babies and is a double board certified surgeon in pediatrics and neonatal. So, if anything goes wrong or you have any questions or concerns, I'm here. I'll be with you every step of the way, Eliza. I'm not going anywhere."

"You're amazing, Arizona." A smile grows on my face from the sight I have in front of me. When I'm wrapped in her arms, there's nothing else in the world that matters. She makes me feel safe, loved, and adored. I love everything about my fiancée and everything she has to offer.

"Come on, let's tuck in Sofia and get to bed. We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow." She takes my hand in her own and guides me through the house and into Sofia's room.

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